A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, has defended the party’s presidential primary election amid allegations of irregularities.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that Momodu said the process was fair and urged aggrieved aspirants, Rotimi Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, to allow the exercise to be fully concluded before raising concerns.
His comments followed the reports of former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar’s, early lead in the ADC presidential primary.
Atiku reportedly won in over 20 states, but the outcome has been challenged by Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen over alleged irregularities.
Momodu said he found it strange that two contestants rejected the process before the election was fully concluded.
He stated, “What I find strange is the fact that before the conclusion of the election, two of the contestants did not wait before writing it off. Overnight, I looked through the states that have been already collated and declared, and I could see a fair pattern.
“I plead once again with Rotimi Amaechi and Muhammad Hayatu-Deen to please cool tempers and let the process be concluded before they raise concerns.”
The former presidential aspirant urged aggrieved aspirants to prioritise party unity ahead of the 2027 general election.
He warned that internal disputes could weaken the ADC’s chances of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
“If they love the party and they love Nigeria, and they truly want to remove Tinubu, then this is not the time for this type of bickering. For me, it is very concerning,” he said.
Momodu said Atiku’s political experience and nationwide network gave him a clear advantage in the race.
“I never doubted that he’s the biggest fish in the race. Atiku has been running since 1993, when he stepped down for Chief Moshood Abiola in Jos, and he has built this nationwide network that will be difficult for any newcomer to build,” he noted.