•Hayatudeen and Atiku
Former vice president and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday held a closed-door meeting with his rival, Hayatu-Deen, at his residence in Lagos.
Sources described the meeting as part of ongoing efforts to reconcile aggrieved members following the party’s presidential primary, reports Channels TV.
An interview session with Hayatu-Deen was expected after the meeting.
The meeting comes days after the ADC presidential primary, in which Atiku emerged as the party’s flag bearer for the 2027 general election.
Hayatu-Deen had contested the primary alongside Atiku and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
However, before the official announcement of the results, he announced his withdrawal from the process, citing allegations of widespread vote rigging.
Expressing concern over reports of electoral irregularities across the country, Hayatu-Deen said he had personally witnessed some of the incidents.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps,” Hayatu-Deen said.
Despite his withdrawal, the party later announced the results of the primary, declaring Atiku the winner with 1,846,370 votes. Former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, came second with 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen polled 177,120 votes.
Amaechi also rejected the outcome of the exercise, describing the results as “concocted” and alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement during the primary.
Since securing the party’s ticket, Atiku has embarked on reconciliatory moves aimed at uniting the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Before meeting Hayatu-Deen, the former vice president had held talks with Amaechi. Following that meeting, Atiku said their discussions focused on the country’s challenges, including economic hardship and insecurity.
According to him, the meeting centred on deep and honest conversations about “the troubling state of the nation, the growing economic pain, insecurity, and the urgent responsibility on patriotic Nigerians to continue engaging in the search for solutions that can rescue our country from drift and despair.”
Responding to complaints about the primary, ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, maintained that the exercise was free and fair, although he acknowledged that it was not without shortcomings.
He said all the aspirants were qualified to lead the party but noted that only one candidate could emerge as its presidential flag bearer.
Atiku and Amaechi joined the ADC in July 2025 alongside other opposition figures as part of a broader political realignment aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
