Drama as Amaechi’s agents reject ADC presidential primary results, nearly clash with Atiku camp in Kano

There was mild drama on Tuesday during the announcement of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential and Kano State governorship primary election results in Kano State, as supporters of former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, rejected the outcome of the exercise.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar polled 155,995 votes to emerge winner of the presidential primary, while Mr Amaechi secured 9,994 votes. Hayatudeen Usman garnered 15,914 votes.

Our reporter, who monitored the exercise in Kano, observed that tension began building even before the official announcement of the results, as agents and supporters loyal to Mr Amaechi rejected the conduct of the primary election in the state.

The chaotic scene started when the chairman of the election committee commenced the announcement of the governorship primary election results.

Amaechi’s agents repeatedly shouted, “We don’t agree, there was no election in Kano,” while supporters of Mr Atiku countered the claims, insisting that the exercise was duly conducted.

The disagreement disrupted proceedings for several minutes before the intervention of Naajatu Mohammed, who appealed to the aggrieved agents to remain calm and channel their complaints through the appropriate committee set up to handle grievances.

Following her intervention, the aggrieved agents staged a walkout while continuing to protest the outcome of the exercise.

Chairman of the primary election committee, Dr John Ayuba, later resumed the announcement of the presidential primary results and declared Mr Atiku winner of the contest.

The governorship primary also witnessed a fresh crisis after some agents rejected claims that a consensus agreement had been reached between Malam Ibrahim Khalil and Ibrahim Al’amin Little over the party’s governorship ticket in Kano State.

The aggrieved agents insisted that no reconciliation or consensus arrangement had been agreed upon, leading to heated arguments among supporters of the aspirants.

The situation nearly degenerated into a physical confrontation as some agents pushed one another before security operatives and party officials intervened to restore order.

Following the disruption, the committee suspended the announcement of the governorship primary election results.

Another round of disagreement erupted when the committee chairman attempted to continue with the announcement of the presidential primary results, further heightening tension at the venue.

Meanwhile, the state chapter of the ADC has rejected the outcome of the party’s presidential primary election in the state, alleging that electoral materials were diverted by unauthorised persons to produce what it described as fraudulent results.

In a petition addressed to the Chairman of the Kano State Primary Appeals Committee, the party’s state leadership accused the Deputy National Chairman (North), Hajia Najja’atu Mohammed, and “some other persons unknown to the party” of allegedly hijacking the electoral process.

The petition, co-signed by the Kano State Chairman of the party, Musa Shuaibu Ungogo, and Kano State Secretary of the party, Dr Bala Inuwa Takai, alleged that the electoral materials meant for the conduct of the presidential primary election were diverted from the approved venue.

According to the petition, the materials were allegedly taken to the residence of Hajia Najja’atu where results of an election “that never took place” were allegedly fabricated.

The state leadership expressed disappointment over what it described as a sudden change in attitude by the national electoral committee assigned to supervise the exercise.

The petition noted that the committee had previously worked harmoniously with the state leadership during other primary elections before the presidential primary exercise allegedly became controversial.

“It is quite unfortunate to state that a national officer, for that matter the Deputy National Chairman (North), Hajia Najja’atu, and some other persons unknown to the party and the electoral committee sent by the national headquarters colluded to divert the electoral materials and went to the residence of Hajia Najja’atu to cook up supposed results of an election that never took place,” the petition stated.

The Kano ADC leadership maintained that party primaries are usually conducted jointly by the state structure and electoral committees deployed from the national headquarters, with committees constituted from the state down to ward and polling unit levels to ensure transparency and fairness.