ADC primaries: Atiku moves to unite party as Hayatu-Deen backs down from challenging outcome

By Lateef Ibrahim

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has intensified efforts to unite party stakeholders following the party’s presidential primary, with indications that former rival Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has agreed to work with him ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was disclosed on Monday by former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, who said Atiku and Hayatu-Deen had reached an understanding aimed at strengthening the opposition’s challenge against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Atiku and Hayatudeen agree to work together to kick APC out,” Melaye wrote on his X account.
Atiku secured the ADC presidential ticket after defeating former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in the party’s primary election.
However, the outcome of the exercise generated controversy, with both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the primary and raising concerns over the process.
In the aftermath of the contest, Atiku embarked on consultations with his former rivals in a bid to heal divisions within the party and build a united front ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
As part of those efforts, the former vice president met separately with Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to seek their support and encourage greater cohesion within the ADC.
The reported agreement between Atiku and Hayatu-Deen is being viewed by political observers as an important step toward consolidating opposition forces as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
The move also signals Atiku’s determination to reconcile aggrieved stakeholders and prevent post-primary disagreements from weakening the party’s electoral prospects.
While details of the understanding between both politicians have not been made public, the development comes at a time when opposition parties are intensifying efforts to build broader alliances against the APC.
Attention is now likely to shift to whether similar reconciliation efforts will succeed in bringing other dissatisfied aspirants and party leaders into the ADC’s campaign structure ahead of the next general election.