Former Rivers State Governor and presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primaries, describing the results as “concocted” and lacking credibility.
Amaechi, in a statement issued after the conduct of the primaries, alleged widespread voter disenfranchisement across the country, insisting that the exercise failed to meet the standards of fairness, transparency and credibility expected of the party.
The former Minister of Transportation said he had earlier maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent.
According to him, a significant percentage of party members were allegedly denied the opportunity to vote, a development he said undermined the integrity of the exercise.
“There is no way about eighty per cent of members of the party were not allowed to vote and anyone would expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
Amaechi further accused the ADC of engaging in the same electoral malpractices it had often condemned in the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Independent National Electoral Commission, including vote buying, manipulation of results and voter suppression.
He said the ADC was founded on the ideals of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative platform capable of addressing what he described as the impunity and mismanagement in the country.
The former governor stressed that the party must remain committed to democratic values and internal transparency if it hopes to gain the confidence of Nigerians ahead of future elections.
Amaechi, however, did not indicate whether he would challenge the outcome of the primaries through the party’s internal mechanisms or pursue further legal action.
