Atiku, Amaechi in Fierce Contest as ADC Picks Presidential Candidate Today

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday commenced its much-anticipated presidential primary election to select its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, setting the stage for a major political showdown among former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

The primary, which is being conducted across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, comes after failed consensus talks among party stakeholders. Efforts by the party leadership to produce a single candidate reportedly collapsed after all three aspirants declined to step down, forcing the party to adopt the direct primary system in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The outcome of today’s exercise is expected to shape the future of the opposition coalition and determine who will carry the ADC’s flag into the high-stakes 2027 general election against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Political analysts believe Atiku Abubakar enters the race as the leading contender due to his deep political structure, nationwide visibility, and decades of electoral experience. Since leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in late 2025, Atiku has played a central role in building the ADC as a formidable opposition platform. Working alongside former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, he has pushed for a broad-based opposition alliance to challenge President Tinubu in 2027.

Analysts say Atiku’s strongest advantage lies in his vast political network and his ability to mobilise delegates across regional blocs. However, his candidacy has also sparked debate within the party, with critics arguing that Nigeria may need a younger face and a fresh political direction after decades of recurring presidential bids.

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Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi is widely regarded as Atiku’s biggest challenger. The former transportation minister has built his campaign around his record in public service, particularly his role in expanding Nigeria’s railway infrastructure under President Muhammadu Buhari.

Amaechi’s supporters insist that the presidency should remain in the South in line with Nigeria’s informal zoning arrangement. They argue that his governance record, especially his performance as Rivers governor, gives him stronger reform credentials than his rivals. Amaechi has also repeatedly dismissed speculation that he could settle for a vice-presidential slot, insisting he is fully in the race to clinch the ADC ticket.

Despite his influence in southern political circles, analysts say his biggest hurdle remains expanding his support beyond his traditional power base to compete with Atiku’s nationwide political machinery.

For Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, today’s primary represents an opportunity to offer a technocratic alternative to Nigeria’s traditional political establishment. The economist and former banking executive has anchored his campaign on economic recovery, job creation, institutional reforms, and governance accountability.

He has consistently urged ADC members to reject what he described as “recycled politics,” insisting that competence and policy expertise should define the party’s choice. Hayatu-Deen recently gained momentum after securing the endorsement of the ADC South-West Professionals Forum, which described him as the aspirant best positioned to tackle Nigeria’s worsening economic crisis.

However, while his policy-driven campaign has attracted intellectual and professional support, political analysts say he still faces a major challenge in building the grassroots structure needed to defeat two established political heavyweights.

Today’s ADC presidential primary is widely viewed as a major test of the party’s internal democracy and ability to manage competing ambitions within its expanding opposition coalition. The winner will immediately face the task of uniting supporters of the defeated aspirants and presenting a formidable challenge in the 2027 presidential race.

Political stakeholders say the credibility of today’s process could significantly influence the ADC’s standing as a serious alternative platform for Nigerians seeking change in the next election cycle. With voting underway, attention now turns to whether the party will emerge stronger and more united after one of the most consequential opposition primaries in recent Nigerian political history.

Atiku, Amaechi in Fierce Contest as ADC Picks Presidential Candidate Today

Ireti Kingibe Hospitalized After Political Thugs Attack during ADC Primary in Abuja

Abuja, Nigeria – Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has publicly detailed a harrowing violent attack she and several party officials endured during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) National Assembly primary elections in Abuja, an incident she has labeled a “premeditated ambush” . The lawmaker, who sustained acute head trauma , is now warning that political thuggery must not be allowed to replace democracy in Nigeria.

The chaos unfolded on Thursday at the ADC State Secretariat located in the Gudu district of Abuja, where Senator Kingibe had arrived to monitor the sorting and distribution of election materials for the party’s legislative primary contest. What began as a calm administrative process quickly descended into brutal violence when a politician identified as Tijani Mubarak arrived at the scene accompanied by a group of aggressive men.

According to Senator Kingibe’s detailed public account shared over the weekend, the situation spiraled out of control the moment the electoral committee chairman attempted to address the arriving team. The lawmaker recounted that “the moment he introduced himself, the Chairman asked if he was the individual who had been calling earlier in the day. Instantly, Mubarak became aggressively rude.” When the committee chairman refused to tolerate the rowdy behavior, the confrontation turned physical, with Kingibe stating that Mubarak “violently slapped the Chairman of the Committee” .

As violence erupted inside the secretariat office, a female aspirant seeking a legislative ticket attempted to document the breakdown of order using her mobile phone. However, her efforts were met with immediate force. In a disturbing update to her account, Senator Kingibe revealed that the female aspirant was violently grabbed and lifted entirely off the ground while the thugs wrestled her for the phone. Infuriated by her attempt to record the assault, Mubarak allegedly ordered his men to seize the device. The female aspirant was severely manhandled and only released after surrendering her phone, sustaining injuries to her hands during the struggle.

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The physical violence soon reached Senator Kingibe herself as the thugs took control of the administrative room. Recounting her own ordeal, the lawmaker stated that “one of Mubarak’s men turned on me… grabbed me, and flung me violently against the wall, hitting my head with severe force.” Following her rescue from the compound, Kingibe initially returned home and took painkillers, but her condition worsened dramatically, with symptoms including blurred vision and severe migraines. Medical doctors at Wuse General Hospital later confirmed that she had sustained acute head trauma from the impact against the wall.

To prevent any immediate rescue or intervention from outsiders, the invading group deliberately blocked all exit routes and locked the internal stakeholders inside the secretariat room. Senator Kingibe explained that “realising he was losing control of the room, Mubarak ran to the exit door, locked it, and trapped us inside with himself and his armed thugs.” The trapped party officials and the Senator remained imprisoned inside the locked office until an intense confrontation broke out on the building’s exterior. Outside supporters, recognizing the danger, launched a counter-offensive to breach the barricaded entrance and successfully rescued the injured occupants. Even after escaping the room, supporters had to shield Senator Kingibe and another woman, Dr. Fatima Goya, behind heavy furniture for their protection while violence continued outside the building.

However, a contradictory account has emerged from the accused politician. Ambassador Mubarak Ahmad Tijjani (also identified as Tijani Mubarak) has denied all allegations, claiming instead that he was the actual victim of the attack. In a statement released on Sunday, Tijjani insisted that he did not arrive with thugs nor did he attack anyone. He further alleged that the incident did not occur at an official ADC secretariat but rather at Senator Kingibe’s constituency office in Gudu, Abuja. Tijjani accused Kingibe’s camp of moving sensitive electoral materials to a private office instead of distributing them to designated ward centres, leaving delegates waiting for hours. “I happen to be a senatorial aspirant, and I went there to defend my mandate as a party member and as somebody who respects the law. Unfortunately, this is what came out of it,” Tijjani said. He added that he was treated at Cairo Hospital for injuries sustained during the incident and has submitted medical reports to both the police and party leadership.

In response to the attack, Senator Kingibe has formally escalated the matter to both party authorities and federal law enforcement, filing a criminal complaint at the Apo Police Division in Abuja. Demanding immediate state action against the perpetrators, she issued a strong appeal to top security chiefs, stating, “I call upon the Inspector General of Police and the FCT Police Commissioner to immediately order the arrest, thorough investigation, and swift prosecution” of all those involved.

Senator Kingibe also used the opportunity to strongly criticize the rising trend of targeted hostility against women in politics , asserting that “the barbaric manhandling of a female aspirant and the physical assault on my person will not be swept under the carpet.” Despite the severity of her head injuries and the trauma of the experience, the lawmaker maintained that she remains “unbowed” by the intimidation.

This violent episode follows a significant legal victory for Senator Kingibe just days prior. On Friday, a Federal High Court in Abuja struck out a suit seeking to prohibit the Senator from ADC activities following an alleged suspension by ward executives. Justice Peter Odo Lifu dismissed the case as “frivolous, baseless and unfounded,” imposing a N10 million fine on the plaintiffs. Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement reconciling the conflicting claims from both parties, and investigations are reportedly ongoing.

Ireti Kingibe Hospitalized After Political Thugs Attack during ADC Primary in Abuja

ADC Dissolves David Mark-Led NWC, Picks Kachikwu as Presidential Candidate

A fresh leadership crisis erupted in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Sunday as a faction loyal to Dumebi Kachikwu dissolved the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and declared him the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The dramatic moves were taken at the faction’s national convention and presidential primary in Abuja, where delegates endorsed Kachikwu through a voice vote in what supporters described as a decisive push to reclaim the party’s direction amid deepening internal divisions.

In a sweeping restructuring that underscored the widening split within the ADC, the faction immediately announced a new set of national officers to replace the dissolved leadership.

The newly constituted executives include Kingsley Oggah as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Abdulkadir Bashir as National Chairman, Johnny Derek as National Secretary, Kennedy O. Odion as National Treasurer, Chief Amirigoye as National Financial Secretary, alongside Dr Chris Ugwu as National Legal Adviser and other officials.

Receiving the party’s flag amid chants from supporters, Kachikwu painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s current realities, saying the country was drifting dangerously under the weight of insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment and deep social discontent.

He said the worsening conditions had forced many Nigerians, especially professionals and young people, to flee abroad in search of survival and dignity.

“The mass exodus of our middle class is indicative of those who have chosen not to be part of this hardship anymore,” Kachikwu declared.

According to him, the ADC must rise as a credible alternative capable of restoring hope and rebuilding confidence in governance.

He also warned against what he described as the capture of the nation by a privileged few, insisting that Nigeria belongs to all citizens regardless of status or political affiliation.

Earlier, Chairman of ADC State Chairmen, Kingsley Oggah, described the convention as a turning point for the party, saying members had remained steadfast despite prolonged internal turbulence and mounting pressures.

He said the gathering demonstrated the resilience of party loyalists determined to keep the ADC alive amid the ongoing power struggle.

Also speaking, the newly elected National Chairman, Abdulkadir Bashir, appealed for calm and unity, urging members to respect the party’s constitution and avoid actions capable of worsening the crisis.

“No individual is bigger than the party,” Bashir said, as he called on aggrieved members to return and help strengthen the ADC ahead of future elections.

The latest development further exposes the widening crack within the opposition party following the emergence of another faction aligned with former Senate President David Mark.

Mark’s bloc emerged from the political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections after the former Peoples Democratic Party stalwart joined the ADC in 2025 as part of a broader opposition coalition seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The coalition gained momentum in July 2025 when ADC founder and former National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, stepped down alongside members of the party’s NWC and endorsed Mark as interim national chairman — a move that triggered fresh tensions within the party.