Hayatu-Deen boycotts ADC primary result announcement, alleges vote rigging

Presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has announced that he will not attend the party’s presidential primary election result collation, citing allegations of widespread irregularities.

In a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen expressed concern over reports of vote manipulation across several parts of the country during the exercise.

He said he personally observed some of the incidents, describing them as troubling and inconsistent with democratic principles.

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

The development comes amid a tightly contested ADC presidential primary involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen himself.

The party’s collation of results is ongoing in Abuja, with figures expected from across the country to determine the eventual winner of the presidential ticket.

Ahead of the exercise, the ADC had urged aspirants, delegates, and stakeholders to maintain peace and uphold internal democracy, describing the primaries as a key test of the party’s credibility.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, had earlier stated that the ADC prides itself on conducting open and transparent primaries as part of its commitment to internal democracy.

However, Hayatu-Deen’s withdrawal from the announcement has added tension to the process, raising fresh questions over the conduct and credibility of the ongoing primaries.