The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary recorded intense competition across several states as former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi secured a major victory over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Bayelsa State with more than 44,000 votes.
The exercise, conducted through the party’s direct primary system, attracted thousands of party members across wards in the state. Party officials disclosed that the process was peaceful, orderly and witnessed massive participation from delegates and registered members.
According to the collated results announced by electoral officials, Amaechi dominated the voting exercise in several local government areas, polling over 44,000 votes to emerge comfortably ahead of Atiku in the state. The outcome further strengthened Amaechi’s growing support base within the party ahead of the final national collation.
Party leaders in Bayelsa commended members for maintaining discipline throughout the exercise, noting that the election reflected internal democracy and transparency. They also praised the turnout of party faithful, describing it as a sign of increasing confidence in the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting after the exercise, supporters of Amaechi celebrated the victory, insisting that the former Rivers governor remains one of the strongest contenders within the opposition coalition. They argued that his administrative experience and national political influence played a key role in his impressive performance during the primary.
Meanwhile, supporters of Atiku maintained confidence in the overall national outcome, stressing that results from other states were still being collated. They urged party members to remain united regardless of the final outcome of the presidential primary.
The ADC presidential contest has remained highly competitive, with notable aspirants including Amaechi, Atiku and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen participating in the nationwide exercise. Reports from several states indicated varying outcomes as the party moved toward concluding its nationwide primary process.