ADC Presidential Primary Holds Today: Atiku, Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen Battle for Ticket

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) holds its presidential primary today — Monday May 25 — with three cleared aspirants going head to head for the party’s ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen are the three candidates in the running. All were cleared over the weekend by the party’s presidential screening committee, chaired by former Cross River State Governor Senator Liyel Imoke.

Earlier attempts by the party leadership to get the aspirants to agree on a consensus candidate fell through, forcing the ADC to proceed with direct primaries. That makes this one of the more competitive opposition party primaries this season.

Beyond the presidential race, the ADC has cleared 80 governorship aspirants, 109 senatorial aspirants, and 513 House of Representatives hopefuls for primary elections nationwide. The party has already produced governorship candidates in at least 10 states.

Among the notable ADC governorship flagbearers: former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami in Kebbi, Halliru Dauda Jika in Bauchi, and former Nigeria Ports Authority MD Umar Suleiman Ummarana in Adamawa. In Kwara, former House of Reps member Zakari Mohammed won the primary unopposed, while veteran journalist Dr Effiong Nyong was affirmed as the party’s candidate in Cross River.

The ADC is positioning itself as a serious opposition force ahead of 2027. Atiku, who ran under the PDP banner in 2023, is widely seen as the frontrunner here, but Amaechi reportedly has solid support among party delegates. Hayatu-Deen, with his background in banking and economic policy, brings a different kind of appeal to the race.

Sources: Premium Times, Daily Trust, ThisDay, Guardian Nigeria, NAN