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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and renowned economist and politician, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, have picked the African Democratic Congress, ADC’s expression of interest and nomination forms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a former governor of Edo, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, led other prominent political stakeholders to collect the form on Amaechi’s behalf at the party’s national secretariat on Friday in Abuja.
The forms were presented to Amaechi’s representatives by the ADC Deputy National Organising Secretary, Atiku Mohammed.
NAN recalls that ADC had been embroiled in leadership crises and multiple court cases.
The development had forced notable members, including Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to defect to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Read Also: Gov Fubara Scales Through APC Screening, Cleared For 2027 Polls
However, ADC National Publicity, Bolaji Abdullahi, had described the defection of Obi and Kwankwaso as a premeditated move, unrelated to the party’s internal wrangling.
In spite of the ongoing disputes and pending court cases, ADC National Chairman Sen. David Mark, however, assured members that the party would participate in the 2027 general elections.
Meanwhile, the form was presented to Hayatu-Deen on Thursday night at the ADC National Secretariat in Abuja by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Prince Chinedu Idigo.
Speaking shortly after picking the form, the presidential aspirant pledged to abide by the ADC’s leadership decision on the mode of primary.
“I have made it clear in a number of places that our leadership is strong.
It is vigorous, it is wise and it exercises sound judgment. And we follow the rules in this party to the letter.
“It is left to the leadership of the party to determine how it is going to carry out this particular election, either through direct primaries or through consensus.
“I am here to pick up the nomination form to contest for the office of the president on the platform of ADC, and I have picked it up,” he said.
Hayatu-Deen said democracy guaranteed every eligible Nigerian the right to contest elective offices, stressing that leadership choices ultimately belong to the people.
“The president emerged through democratic processes, and Nigerians must remain free to choose their leaders through open contests, free speech and credible elections,” he added.
The Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has been successfully screened by the All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the May 21 governorship primary election.
Fubara was cleared by the APC screening committee at the Plateau Governors Lodge, Abuja, on Saturday.
The Rivers State governor was among the 17 serving governors whose credentials were verified and assessed by the committee.
The Eastern Updates reports that the Rivers APC primary election may be a tough contest, as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, had vowed to cripple Fubara’s re-election bid.
Kingsley Chinda, a loyalist of Wike, was earlier screened and cleared to contest against Fubara in the forthcoming election.
The Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has explained that he chose to appear weak in the political crisis that enveloped his state in the interest of peace.
Fubara, however, urged his supporters to continue to believe in him despite the current political situation in the state.
According to a statement in Port Harcourt, the governor made the call on Friday night while receiving the Man of the Year 2025 award from New Telegraph at a ceremony held at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Fubara acknowledged that those who stood by him have endured “special pain”, encouraging them to remain steadfast.
