Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress for the 2027 general election.
The result was announced on Wednesday night at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja in a statement as monitored by our correspondent, declaring that Atiku defeated former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in the contest.
The party’s leadership, led by Senator David Mark, officially presented the party flag to Atiku Abubakar after he was declared the winner of the primary.
“Atiku 1,846,370, Amaechi 504,117, Hayatudeen 177,120. Total votes cast in the election: 2,546,457. Total party membership for the election: 3,113,599,” the result reads.
A breakdown showed Atiku defeated Amaechi by 1,342,253 votes and Hayatu-Deen by 1,669,250 votes, while Amaechi also led Hayatu-Deen by 327,003 votes.
The African Democratic Congress commenced its presidential primary process on Monday, May 25, 2026, with party members across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory participating in the exercise.
The party had opted for the direct primary method after all three aspirants—Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen— declined calls to step down for a consensus candidate, while an affirmation process was initially considered before the direct primary was adopted in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
