Atiku Sends First Message to Amaechi After He Rejects ADC Presidential Primary Results

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar sent a birthday greeting to former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi after the latter publicly rejected the results of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary.

Atiku posted the message on his Facebook page on Wednesday, calling Amaechi “a brother and fellow patriot” and praising his years of service to Rivers State and Nigeria.

“Happy Birthday to my brother and fellow patriot, H.E. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Your courage, conviction, and years of service to Rivers State and Nigeria continue to inspire many across the nation. I wish you good health, strength, and many more years of impactful service to our dear country,” Atiku wrote.

The note came a day after Amaechi denounced the ADC primary outcome, accusing widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.

In a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, Amaechi described the results as “concocted results.” He said he would only accept the outcome if the process were free, fair and transparent.

“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold,” Amaechi said.

The former Rivers State governor claimed that roughly 80 percent of party members nationwide were prevented from voting during the exercise. He also noted that the ADC could not criticize vote buying, rigging and manipulation by others while allegedly engaging in similar practices during its own primary.