RismadarVoice Reporters
June 1, 2026
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the leadership structure of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was designed to favour former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, making it difficult for former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to secure the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Speaking during his monthly media chat in Abuja, Wike said it was obvious from the composition of the party’s leadership that Amaechi would not receive a fair opportunity in the presidential primary.
According to him, he would have advised his former political ally against participating in the contest if he had been consulted.
“Amaechi is my brother. I served as Chief of Staff in his government. When I saw that he was running with them, I knew what would happen. If he had called me, I would have said, ‘Don’t go there.’ It was very clear he would not get transparency or due process,” Wike said.
The FCT minister argued that the emergence of former Senate President David Mark as chairman of the ADC signalled that the process would favour Atiku.
“When I saw the setup in ADC and saw David Mark there, I laughed. When you have worked with these people, you know who is who and what they are capable of doing. That set-up was Atiku’s set-up 100 per cent,” he stated.
Wike maintained that the structure of the party did not inspire confidence in a transparent and credible primary election.
“You cannot set a trap for me. We know ourselves as politicians. Who told you that kind of structure would give you transparency? Who told you that kind of structure would give you free and fair elections?” he asked.
The minister further said Amaechi misjudged the political situation and was influenced by criticisms of the current administration.
“I think my brother made a mistake. He was too much in a hurry. He was carried away by people shouting that this government is not doing well. They used that to lure people in and give themselves credibility,” Wike added.
He also revisited the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2022 presidential primary, accusing David Mark of failing to ensure a level playing field in the contest that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate.
Wike’s comments come days after Amaechi rejected the outcome of the ADC presidential primary, describing the exercise as “concocted” and alleging that it fell short of the transparency and fairness promised by the party.
Ahead of the official declaration of the results, Amaechi had claimed that many party members were prevented from voting, arguing that such actions undermined the principles on which the ADC was founded.
Despite the objections, the ADC declared Atiku winner of the primary and its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
According to the party, Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes to defeat Amaechi, who secured 504,117 votes, while businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen came third with 177,120 votes.
Meanwhile, Atiku has reportedly held separate meetings with Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen as part of efforts to reconcile aggrieved members and strengthen party unity ahead of the 2027 election.
