Atiku Wins Ebonyi ADC Primary as Amaechi Faction Claims Victory

One faction of the African Democratic Congress in Ebonyi State has declared former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the winner of its presidential primary.

The result was announced at Preston Hotel, the state collation centre, and showed Atiku with a large lead over former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Muhammad Hayatudeen.

The Ebonyi State Presidential Primary Election Committee reported that Atiku received 15,300 votes. Amaechi finished second with 2,200 votes, and Hayatudeen got 200 votes.

The committee said 18,891 voters registered across 171 wards in Ebonyi’s 13 local government areas. It also reported that 17,700 voters were accredited for the primary.

Fred Onwe, who chairs the committee and serves as ADC National Vice Chairman for Diaspora, declared Atiku the winner after announcing the final result.

Rival Result Adds to Confusion

The Ebonyi exercise has now produced two separate outcomes.

While Onwe’s committee declared Atiku the winner, another faction of the party announced Amaechi as the winner of a parallel process in the state.

The Guardian reported that the Amaechi faction gave the former transportation minister 6,050 votes, with Hayatudeen receiving 4,840 votes and Atiku 1,210 votes. The report said this result came from a different ADC structure in Ebonyi.

Legit also reported that two factions declared different winners in the Ebonyi ADC presidential primary, with one camp announcing Atiku’s 15,300 votes and the other declaring Amaechi the winner with 6,050 votes.

These conflicting results raise new questions about the party’s internal control, especially as the ADC tries to position itself as a national opposition platform before the 2027 election.

What the Atiku Faction Said

Silas Joseph Onu, Ebonyi State Chairman of the ADC faction supporting Atiku, praised the election team for holding the primary despite heavy rainfall across the state.

Onwe also congratulated Atiku and the other candidates. He said the committee named Atiku as winner because he received the most votes in the primary.

This result gives Atiku’s camp a strong claim in Ebonyi. However, the rival declaration by the Amaechi faction means the outcome is still disputed until the ADC’s national leadership makes a clear decision.

Why This Matters for ADC

This dispute comes at a sensitive time for the ADC. The party had cleared Atiku, Amaechi, and Hayatudeen to run in its presidential primary ahead of the 2027 election. The Guardian earlier reported that the three candidates had been cleared to run in the May 25, 2, election026.

A clean primary would have helped the party show unity. Instead, the Ebonyi result has revealed a factional problem that could weaken public confidence in the process. In a political party, credibility starts with internal order. If members cannot agree on who conducted the valid primary, voters may struggle to trust the party’s national structure.

Expert View

The Ebonyi dispute goes beyond Atiku and Amaechi. It highlights the risks opposition parties face when they try to build national momentum without first settling internal leadership conflicts.

A primary election should clearly answer one question: who won? In Ebonyi, the ADC now has two answers from two factions. This weakens the party’s message of unity and gives rivals an easy argument against its readiness for power.

For the ADC, the next step needs to be clear and urgent. The national leadership should identify the authorised committee, confirm the valid collation centre, and publish the official state result. Staying silent will only make the confusion worse.

What Happens Next?

The ADC’s national leadership will need to clarify which Ebonyi result it recognises.

If the party does not act quickly, both camps may keep claiming victory. This could lead to petitions, internal protests, or even wider factional disputes in other states.

For Atiku, the factional win boosts his campaign story in Ebonyi. For Amaechi, the rival result gives his camp a chance to challenge Atiku’s claim. For the ADC, the bigger test is whether it can handle the dispute without hurting its 2027 ambitions.

Who won the ADC presidential primary in Ebonyi?

One ADC faction declared Atiku Abubakar the winner after he polled 15,300 votes. However, another faction announced Rotimi Amaechi as the winner, so the result is disputed.

How many votes did Atiku get in the Ebonyi ADC primary?

According to the result announced at Preston Hotel by one faction, Atiku scored 15,300 votes.

How many votes did Amaechi get?

In the result backed by Atiku’s camp, Amaechi scored 2,200 votes. In the rival faction’s result, Amaechi was declared the winner with 6,050 votes.

Why is the Ebonyi ADC result controversial?

The result is controversial because two ADC factions announced different winners from separate primary exercises in the state.

What should the ADC do next?

The ADC national leadership should clarify which result it recognises and identify the authorised committee that ran the valid primary in Ebonyi.