A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and supporter of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Comrade Ibrahim Garba Wala, has thrown his weight behind Amaechi’s rejection of the party’s presidential primary election, describing the exercise as a “brazen, shameless auction” that betrayed the party’s democratic ideals.

Wala, who monitored the presidential primary in Gombe State, said the process failed to meet even the basic standards of transparency, fairness and internal democracy expected of a credible political party.

“What we witnessed during the primary elections was not a democratic primary; it was a brazen, shameless auction that betrayed every value the ADC promised to uphold,” he said.

The ADC presidential aspirant had earlier rejected the process in a post on his X handle before the official announcement of results, insisting that the exercise was fundamentally flawed and did not reflect the will of party members.

In a detailed statement released on Wednesday via his Facebook page, Wala accused party officials of hypocrisy, noting that while the ADC publicly condemns vote-buying and electoral malpractice in national elections, its own internal process was allegedly worse.

He alleged widespread irregularities, including compromised election officials, inducements, and systematic disenfranchisement of genuine party members across polling locations.

Wala further claimed that the process was influenced through what he described as informal “hotel situation rooms,” where key decisions were allegedly taken away from the actual voting centres.

He also accused some party actors of exploiting religious and regional sensitivities in parts of Gombe State, alleging that participation in certain areas was manipulated along identity lines to influence outcomes.

According to him, vote-buying was carried out openly and aggressively, while young and new aspirants bore the greatest burden of what he described as a “daylight robbery” of democratic expectations.

Wala further alleged that some party leaders made divisive comments along regional lines, undermining unity and neutrality within the party structure.

He called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to distance himself from what he described as “dirty and concocted” primary election results, warning that the credibility of the process was already in serious doubt.

Wala warned that if unaddressed, the controversy could damage the ADC’s image ahead of the 2027 general elections and erode public confidence in its internal democracy.

He reaffirmed support for Amaechi’s position, insisting that the party must urgently return to credible, transparent and inclusive processes if it hopes to present itself as a viable alternative in Nigeria’s political landscape. (Guardian)

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