Former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries, describing the results announced by the party as “concocted” and lacking credibility.
Amaechi, in a statement issued after the conduct of the primaries, alleged that widespread voter disenfranchisement marred the exercise in several parts of the country, insisting that the process fell short of the standards of transparency and fairness expected by party members and Nigerians.
The former governor stated that he had earlier maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair, and transparent, stressing that the conduct of the exercise did not reflect the ideals the ADC claimed to represent.
According to him, the party was established to provide Nigerians with an alternative platform capable of addressing what he described as the impunity and gross mismanagement of the country by the ruling party, adding that the alleged irregularities recorded during the primaries contradicted that vision.
Amaechi further claimed that a large percentage of party members were denied the opportunity to participate in the voting process, questioning the legitimacy of the results announced by the party leadership.
“There is no way that about eighty percent of party members were not allowed to vote and anyone expects me to accept such results,” he stated.
He accused the party of engaging in the same electoral malpractices it had previously condemned in other political parties, including alleged vote buying, manipulation of results, and voter suppression.
Amaechi warned that such practices could undermine the credibility of the ADC as a viable political alternative ahead of future elections.
The ADC leadership is yet to officially respond to the allegations raised by the former minister regarding the conduct of the presidential primaries.
