Unuevbo TV
ADC Clears Atiku, Amaechi, Hayatu-Deen for Monday Direct Primaries as Amaechi Attacks APC's Economic Record — Says Tinubu Using Hunger to Manipulate Voters
Atiku Abubakar (left) and Rotimi Amaechi (right) are two of the three aspirants cleared by the ADC for Monday's direct presidential primaries.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cleared all three of its presidential aspirants — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and renowned economist Mohammed Hayatu‑Deen — for Monday's direct primary elections, setting the stage for a three‑way contest that will determine who flies the party's flag against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
The screening, conducted by a high‑level panel chaired by former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, found all three aspirants qualified to contest. The direct primary will take place across 8,809 wards nationwide on Monday, May 25. According to party sources, none of the three aspirants agreed to step down for each other, forcing the ADC to proceed with a full primary rather than a consensus arrangement. The ADC has also cleared 513 House of Representatives aspirants, 109 senatorial aspirants, and 80 governorship aspirants, signalling the party's intention to field a complete slate of candidates for 2027.
While the ADC puts its house in order, Amaechi used a late‑Friday interview to deliver a blistering critique of the APC's economic record. The former Transportation Minister accused President Tinubu of "inciting hunger to manipulate voters," arguing that the administration's reliance on palliative handouts is a cynical political strategy rather than a genuine solution. "A bag of rice does not solve hunger for the rest of the year," Amaechi said. He promised that his first act as president would be to enforce the rule of law — a commitment that positions him as a governance‑focused alternative within the ADC field.
Atiku, for his part, appeared before the Imoke‑led screening panel on Wednesday and told the committee that "Nigeria does not need experiments; it needs tested leadership, clarity of vision, and the courage to make difficult but necessary decisions in the national interest." The former Vice President's pitch rests on his decades of experience in public office — and his argument that the country cannot afford to gamble on an untested leader. Amaechi's camp has pushed back, with his media adviser telling the Nigerian Tribune that Amaechi's "target is to defeat Tinubu" and questioning whether Atiku can translate primary victories into general election success.
The third aspirant, Hayatu‑Deen, has cast himself as "a fresh candidate with no baggage," a direct pitch to voters weary of the familiar faces that have dominated Nigerian politics for decades. He has not ruled out stepping down for a consensus candidate, telling THISDAY that he would "do the party's bidding."
In a related development, NDC co‑founder Peter Obi spent the weekend in South Africa meeting with leaders to address the recent wave of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians — a reminder that the 2027 race is not being fought solely on domestic terrain, and that the treatment of Nigerians abroad has become an emotional election issue the opposition intends to use.
Stay tuned to Unuevbo TV for more on the ADC primaries, the 2027 presidential race, and the political battles that will define Nigeria's future.
📺 Watch Nigerian politics 24/7 on our Politics Channel.
© 2026 Unuevbo TV – All rights reserved. Republication only with permission.