FCT Minister claims party structure favoured Atiku as efforts begin to heal divisions after contentious presidential primary
By Anselm Odiegie, Abuja
The controversies from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary continued on Monday, with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, arguing that former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, entered a contest he was never likely to win.
Wike’s remarks come amid growing concerns over divisions within the opposition coalition following the party’s presidential primary, which produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its candidate for the 2027 election.
Speaking during his monthly media briefing in Abuja, Wike said the outcome of the contest was predictable from the outset, insisting that the party’s internal structure and leadership arrangement favoured Atiku.
According to him, the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as national chairman of the party was an indication that the process would not provide a level playing field for all aspirants.
“Amaechi is my brother. When I saw that he was running with them, I knew what would happen,” Wike said. “If he had asked me, I would have advised him not to go there.”
The former Rivers governor and ex-minister of transportation was one of the leading contenders in the race but later rejected the outcome, describing the process as lacking transparency and alleging that many party members were prevented from voting.
His criticism has added to tensions within the opposition alliance at a time when political actors are seeking to build a united front ahead of the next general election.
Wike, who has remained a vocal critic of several opposition leaders despite his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the controversies surrounding the primary validated concerns about the credibility of the exercise.
He also accused David Mark of presiding over a similar lack of transparency during the PDP presidential primary in 2022, when Atiku emerged as the party’s candidate.
The ADC, however, proceeded to declare Atiku winner of the primary, with official results showing him defeating Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen by a wide margin.
The dispute has since triggered reconciliation efforts within the party. Sources close to the campaign said Atiku has held separate meetings with Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen in a bid to calm tensions and prevent post-primary grievances from weakening the party’s chances ahead of the 2027 polls.
Political observers say the controversy highlights the challenge facing opposition parties seeking to convince Nigerians that they can provide a credible alternative to the ruling establishment while managing competing ambitions within their own ranks.
For now, attention is shifting from the outcome of the primary to whether the ADC can maintain unity after a contest that has exposed early fault lines in its quest to build a formidable coalition for 2027.
