Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the results being announced from the African Democratic Congress presidential primary, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi, one of the major aspirants for the ADC presidential ticket alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, made his position known in a statement posted on his X handle.
The former Rivers State governor said he would not accept what he described as “concocted results” from a process he alleged was marred by irregularities.
“I reject the concocted results of the ADC presidential primaries,” Amaechi stated.
According to him, reports from across the country indicated that many party members were denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise.
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the African Democratic Congress presidential primaries yesterday, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he said.
Amaechi said he had earlier made it clear that he would only accept the outcome of the primary if the process was free, fair and transparent.
“I had initially stated that I will only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair, and transparent, and I stand by my word,” he added.
He accused the party of failing to uphold the democratic values it had promised Nigerians, saying the ADC could not claim to be different from the ruling All Progressives Congress if it engaged in the same practices it had criticised.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” Amaechi said.
He further alleged that about 80 per cent of ADC members were not allowed to vote during the primary.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results. Then what makes us different from the others?” he queried.
Amaechi said the ADC was meant to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative, amplify the voices of ordinary citizens and build a country where every person is treated fairly, regardless of background, ethnicity or religion.
He warned that a party that condemns the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission over alleged vote buying, rigging and result writing should not be involved in similar practices.
“A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that lead to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable,” he said.
Amaechi’s rejection comes shortly after Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, another aspirant in the ADC presidential race, withdrew from the process over similar concerns.
Hayatu-Deen had announced that he would not attend the announcement of the presidential primary results, citing reports of widespread vote rigging, some of which he claimed to have personally observed.
“I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” Hayatu-Deen had said.
The development has thrown the ADC presidential primary into deeper controversy, with two aspirants now openly rejecting the credibility of the process.
Early results from the exercise had shown former Vice President Atiku Abubakar leading in several states, while Amaechi recorded a major victory in Bayelsa State.
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