As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, leading presidential hopefuls under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are coming together to promote unity. They’ve agreed, in principle, to support whoever emerges as the party’s presidential candidate—on the condition that the primary election is truly transparent.
This plan was revealed by former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who is also one of the top contenders in the party. According to him, the contenders must first clearly define what a “transparent primary” means, to prevent any form of manipulation.
Senator David Mark, who currently serves as the interim national chairman of the ADC, recently assured party members and the public that the party has no preferred candidate. He also promised to conduct a free and fair process.
This reassurance came after key figures within the ADC started showing interest in contesting for the presidential ticket. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for instance, recently hinted at running in 2027. He made the remark during a meeting with political stakeholders from Gombe State and denied being part of any discussion to step aside for a southern candidate.
In the same light, Peter Obi—who ran under the Labour Party in 2023—confirmed that he will be running for president again. He made it clear that he hasn’t had any talks with anyone about becoming a vice-presidential candidate.
Supporters of both Atiku and Obi, who were once running mates in 2019, have been actively promoting their preferred choices on social media. Meanwhile, Amaechi also announced his plan to run for president under the ADC after losing out to Bola Tinubu in the APC’s 2023 primaries.
Former Kaduna governor, Nasir El-Rufai, however, has stated that he has no interest in contesting.
Still, not everyone in the party is convinced the process will be fair. Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, raised concerns that the party leadership may already be planning to hand the ticket to Atiku. He also questioned whether the north should keep the presidency or if it should return to the south—a topic that also shaped the 2023 elections.
Amaechi responded by saying the agreement among aspirants would only work if everyone agrees on what a fair and transparent primary looks like. He warned that without clear guidelines, someone could hijack the process and still claim it was fair.
Meanwhile, the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said he isn’t aware of any unity agreement among the aspirants. However, he emphasized that the party is committed to fairness and will ensure every candidate has equal opportunity.
As the race heats up, all eyes will be on the ADC to see if it can truly deliver on its promise of a transparent and inclusive presidential primary.
