Amaechi camp rejects Imo ADC presidential primary, calls it a ‘sham’

The camp of former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary election held in Imo State, Nigeria. They have labeled the exercise a "sham," asserting that no genuine primary election took place across the state.

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No elections were held in the majority of wards across the state. Registered ADC members who came out to vote were turned away because there were no officials, no materials, and no polling units. Where any activity took place, our accredited agents were not given the locations. They were kept in the dark while a secret process was conducted without their presence.

Chigozie Alex, the Orlu Zonal Coordinator of the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Imo State Campaign Structure, stated that registered ADC members were turned away from polling locations due to the absence of officials, materials, and designated units. He further alleged that accredited agents of the Amaechi camp were kept uninformed about any activities, leading to a "secret process" conducted without their presence.

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The returning officers for this so-called primary were the party’s LGA chairmen and House of Assembly aspirants, the same individuals who have been compromised by agents of a rival candidate. This is a fundamental violation of electoral integrity.

Alex criticized the returning officers, identifying them as party LGA chairmen and House of Assembly aspirants, whom he accused of being compromised by a rival candidate. He described the event not as a direct primary but as a "secret selection" conducted in hidden locations without regard for the ADC constitution or the Electoral Act.

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What we witnessed was not a direct primary. It was a secret selection. The party, in connivance with agents of Atiku Abubakar, moved to hidden locations and conducted the entire process without our agents, without our members, and without any regard for the ADC constitution or the Electoral Act.

Despite these accusations, the ADC National Presidential Primary Electoral Panel for Imo State declared former Vice President Atiku Abubakar the winner. The panel chairman, Eko Atu, announced that Abubakar secured 52,200 votes across the state's wards and local government areas. Rotimi Amaechi reportedly came in second with 7,659 votes, followed by Mohammed Hayatudeen with 1,121 votes.

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We call on the national leadership of the ADC to cancel the sham primary conducted in Imo State, conduct a fresh, transparent, and inclusive direct primary across all wards, and ensure that our accredited agents are given full access to every polling location. Anything short of this is an assault on democracy and the will of our members.