The coast is seAtiku setemingly clear for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to pick the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as his two challengers reject the conduct of the presidential primary election in many states.
Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, says he will not attend the announcement of the presidential primary results citing alleged infractions, while Rotimi Amaechi has rejected the party’s presidential primary election results, also citing irregularities.
Hayatu-Deen, in a statement obtained from his X handle on Tuesday, expressed concern over reports of widespread vote rigging during the primaries.
He stated that some of the alleged irregularities were personally observed by him during voting.
The presidential aspirant said he would seek advice on his next line of action following the reported irregularities surrounding the conduct of the ADC presidential primary election.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC presidential election results today.
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“I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be seeking advice on my next steps,” he said.
Amaechi, on his X handle on Tuesday, alleged widespread voter disenfranchisement during the ADC presidential primaries and described the results as fabricated, insisting that he would only accept outcomes from a process that was free, fair, transparent and credible to participants.
“Following reports of widespread voter disenfranchisement in most parts of the country during the ADC presidential primaries, I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” he stated.
Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, said he had earlier maintained that acceptance of the election outcome depended entirely on the credibility, transparency and fairness of the primary election.
“I had initially stated that I will only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent and I stand by my word.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that nearly 80 percent of party members were prevented from voting, questioning the moral difference between the ADC and other political parties.
He said that ADC was created to provide ordinary Nigerians with a platform to amplify their voices and promote national unity, irrespective of ethnicity or religion.
Amaechi further stated that a party criticising the ruling All Progressives Congress and INEC over vote buying and rigging should not engage in similar electoral malpractices internally.
He described the alleged vote buying, result manipulation and disenfranchisement of party members during the exercise as unacceptable and inconsistent with democratic standards and accountability.
NAN
