Fresh drama has hit the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ebonyi State after two factions of the party announced different winners for the exercise held across the state.
One faction declared former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, as winner of the primary, while another camp announced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the preferred candidate of the party in the state.
The faction that backed Amaechi said the exercise was conducted across the 171 political wards in Ebonyi through a direct primary system. The process, according to party officials, recorded massive participation by delegates.
Speaking in Abakaliki while announcing the outcome of the exercise, the Coordinator of Electoral Matters and Returning Officer, Bassey Edogi Imoke, said Amaechi polled 6,050 votes to emerge victorious.
He stated that Atiku secured 1,210 votes, while another presidential aspirant, Muhammad Hayatudeen, got 4,840 votes.
Imoke explained that 12,641 delegates were registered for the primary election in Ebonyi State, while 12,100 delegates were accredited and took part in the exercise.
According to him, all the valid votes cast during the primary stood at 12,100.
“At the end of the election, His Excellency Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, having scored the highest number of votes cast, is hereby returned elected as the preferred flag bearer of the African Democratic Congress in Ebonyi State for the 2027 general election,” he declared.
The Ebonyi State Chairman of the ADC, Dr. Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, described the exercise as peaceful and transparent.
She said the primary marked a major shift from the party’s previous arrangement where delegates gathered at a single venue to vote.
According to her, the ward-based voting system was introduced to promote inclusiveness and ensure peaceful participation by party members across the state.
Adibe-Nwafor maintained that no delegate was intimidated or compelled to vote for any aspirant during the exercise.
She congratulated Amaechi on what she described as a convincing victory and commended party members for their orderly conduct throughout the process.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, Paschal Okafor, said the election was free, fair and credible.
He noted that all the aspirants were given equal opportunity during the exercise.
However, the development took another turn after a separate faction of the party reportedly announced Atiku as winner of the same presidential primary in the state.
The conflicting declarations have further exposed the internal crisis rocking the ADC ahead of the 2027 general election.
The party is yet to officially clarify the authenticity of the parallel results announced by the rival factions in Ebonyi State.
