Aggrieved ADC members reject Adamawa presidential primaries, Say exercise ‘complete sham’
A group of concerned members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State on Tuesday openly rejected the conduct of the party’s presidential primary election in the state, describing the exercise as a “complete charade” allegedly designed to manufacture fictitious figures and deceive the public.
The position was made known during a press conference held in Yola and addressed by Hussain A. Hamman, a prominent party leader from Yola South, who accused the party leadership and supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of undermining democratic principles through what he described as a fraudulent process.
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Addressing journalists, Hamman alleged that there was virtually no voting exercise across the state noting that an election result cannot be produced in a vacuum.
According to him, the only place where any form of voting took place was Ajiya Ward, where he claimed Atiku mobilized hundreds of supporters to create the impression that a credible exercise had been conducted.
“From all available evidence and reports gathered across Adamawa State, there was virtually no voting exercise anywhere except in Ajiya Ward where former Vice President Atiku Abubakar allegedly mobilized hundreds of supporters to create the impression that an election took place,” Hamman stated.
He further alleged that apart from Ajiya Ward, there was no meaningful accreditation, no voting process and no visible electoral activity in polling wards across the state.
Hamman said the development exposed what he described as a dangerous lack of faith in democracy by those handling the process, arguing that democracy must be anchored on transparency, participation and the free expression of the people’s will.
The ADC chieftain drew comparisons between the disputed exercise and previous criticisms directed at the ruling All Progressives Congress and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over alleged manipulation of figures during party primaries.
He noted that although Atiku and his supporters had previously condemned the APC for alleged irregularities, the situation in Adamawa under the ADC was worse because, according to him, no actual election took place anywhere.
“While Atiku Abubakar himself strongly condemned the APC leadership and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over allegations of inflated and manipulated figures in APC presidential primary, it must be stated that the APC at least conducted a semblance of an election process.
“What happened under Atiku’s watch in Adamawa is even worse because no election took place in reality, yet imaginary results are being circulated to the public,” he said.
Hamman warned that bypassing democratic procedures and imposing fabricated outcomes on party members could undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic system and weaken the credibility of internal party processes.
He stressed that political leaders aspiring to govern the country must first demonstrate commitment to democratic values within their own political parties, especially the ADC which, according to him, emerged with the promise of correcting the shortcomings of the ruling party and strengthening democracy.
He called on party stakeholders, democratic institutions and members of the public to take serious note of the alleged irregularities and demand accountability and transparency in all political processes.
Hamman also urged supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding while insisting on credible democratic practices.
