“I won’t attend,” Hayatu-Deen announces boycott of ADC presidential primary results announcement

A presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has said he will not attend the announcement of the party’s presidential primary results over “widespread irregularities and vote rigging” which he personally witnessed.

The ADC conducted a nationwide direct primary on Monday to pick its candidate for the 2027 presidential election, with Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen as the main contenders.

Early results from several states showed Atiku securing commanding leads, including large margins in Sokoto, Yobe, and Gombe.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen expressed deep disappointment with the conduct of the exercise.

He alleged that the process was marred by manipulations that undermined the integrity of the primaries.

“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 wrote on X.

The ADC primaries were monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across wards, as the party seeks a candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.