The emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will dramatically alter the political calculations ahead of the 2027 general election, setting the stage for what could become one of Nigeria’s most fiercely contested presidential races.
Of the 24 states officially declared so far, Atiku has won 22, while Rotimi Amaechi, former Rivers State governor and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, an economist, have secured one state each, in the ongoing collation of the ADC presidential primary election results.
The primary was held on Monday while the collation is taking place in Abuja. The final results are expected to be announced late Wednesday night.
Beyond the outcome of the primary, political analysts believe Atiku’s candidacy will nject fresh uncertainty into the 2027 race and unsettle existing assumptions surrounding power rotation between the North and the South.
For months, many political stakeholders had argued that the South should retain power until 2031 in line with Nigeria’s informal zoning and power rotation arrangement.
