The African Democratic Congress has postponed the collation of results from its presidential primary election, pushing the exercise to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Chairman of the ADC Presidential Primary Election Committee, Ikechi Emenike, announced the postponement late Tuesday after more than four hours of collation at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
The party held a nationwide direct primary on Monday to choose its candidate for the 2027 presidential election. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, and ex-FSB International Bank Managing Director Mohammed Hayatu-Deen emerged as the leading contenders.
Explaining the delay, Emenike said the decision was taken to allow Muslim members of the party observe the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Results collated so far show Atiku in a commanding lead with 1,390,276 votes. Amaechi trails with 248,455 votes, while Hayatu-Deen has secured 156,075 votes.
Atiku is currently leading in 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory, including Kebbi, Anambra, Abia, Ekiti, Ondo, Gombe, Oyo, Imo, Yobe, Nasarawa, Enugu, Benue, Osun, Kogi, Taraba, Kano, Adamawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, Borno, Niger and Plateau.
Amaechi, however, is ahead in Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi states.
The primary process has stirred controversy, with both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen rejecting the emerging results. The two candidates alleged widespread irregularities and voter disenfranchisement, raising fresh questions over the credibility of the exercise as collation continues.
