Hayatu-Deen Pulls Out of ADC Presidential Race Citing Vote Rigging

Fresh controversy has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary following the withdrawal of one of the leading aspirants, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, from the race over alleged widespread electoral irregularities.

Hayatu-Deen announced his decision in a statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, shortly before the party was expected to formally declare the outcome of the presidential primary election.

The former banker said he would not participate in the final announcement process due to concerns over what he described as large-scale vote manipulation across several states.

“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today,” he stated.

“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.”

The ADC primary featured former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen as major contenders.

The party adopted the direct primary model using the Option A4 voting system, where registered members openly queued behind their preferred aspirants across the country’s 8,809 wards. Party officials had disclosed that about 3.44 million registered members were eligible to participate in the exercise.

Hayatu-Deen had earlier raised concerns about the conduct of the exercise shortly after voting in his ward in Borno State. He alleged that the process lacked transparency and fairness, claiming that party stakeholders and delegates from multiple states reported irregularities during the exercise.

The presidential aspirant also alleged that he received calls pressuring him to step down for another unnamed aspirant ahead of the primary. Despite the allegations, the ADC leadership insisted the exercise remained credible and transparent.

Meanwhile, preliminary results circulating from different states showed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar maintaining a strong lead in the contest.

The development is expected to intensify internal tensions within the party as political observers closely monitor the possibility of legal disputes or post-primary challenges from aggrieved aspirants.

The ADC primary has been viewed as one of the most closely watched opposition contests ahead of the 2027 general elections.