By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar visited former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi at his Abuja residence on Thursday, following the conclusion of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries.

He was accompanied by former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu, and other party chieftains.

The visit comes amid political discussions and reactions surrounding the ADC primaries, in which both Atiku and Amaechi played prominent roles.

According to party sources, the meeting is part of ongoing consultations aimed at fostering unity within the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections, following the party’s presidential primary.

As of the time of this report, details of the closed-door meeting had not been made public.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the winner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary election, securing a commanding majority of the votes cast, according to official results announced by the party.

Mr Abubakar polled 1,846,370 votes out of a total of 2,527,977 votes cast, defeating his two main challengers: former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatudeen.

Mr Amaechi finished a distant second with 504,117 votes, while Mr Hayatudeen came third with 177,120 votes.

However, the primary election was immediately mired in controversy, as both Mr Amaechi and Mr Hayatudeen rejected the outcome, alleging widespread electoral malpractice. The two candidates had earlier condemned the process even before the final results were announced.

The result positions Mr Abubakar as the ADC’s flag bearer for the upcoming presidential election, though the dispute over the credibility of the primary could foreshadow legal or internal party challenges in the days ahead.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the influential leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, is set  select former Kano State deputy governor Aminu Abdussalam as the consensus governorship candidate for the National Democratic Council (NDC) in the upcoming state election, multiple sources confirm.

The choice, which followed days of closed-door consultations, sidelines a prominent contender and has sparked internal debate over the party’s electoral strategy in the fiercely contested state.

Abdussalam, who resigned as deputy governor in March after the Kano State House of Assembly issued an impeachment notice, was chosen for what insiders describe as his “uncommon commitment and sacrifice” to the movement.

Initially, Nasiru Gawuna — the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 election — was widely seen as a strong frontrunner for the ticket. But Kwankwaso ultimately backed Abdussalam on Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the deliberations.

Kwankwaso offered Gawuna either the deputy governorship slot or the Kano Central Senatorial ticket as an alternative, sources said. Gawuna declined both.

“He told Kwankwaso that he joined the Kwankwasiyya movement unconditionally and would not leave simply because he didn’t get the top slot,” one source told DAILY NIGERIAN.

The delay in announcing Abdussalam reflected mounting pressure from influential figures who argued that Gawuna offered a stronger path to defeating incumbent Governor Abba Yusuf.

Pro-Gawuna insiders pointed to zoning as the deciding factor. Yusuf, like Gawuna, hails from Kano Central — the zone that typically delivers the largest vote share.

“First, Gawuna is very popular in Kano Central, where the majority of votes come from,” an anonymous insider said. “Since Abba is from Kano Central and is serving his first term, the best solution is to field a candidate from the same zone so the zone may not feel shortchanged.”

The source drew a parallel to the NDC’s national strategy of zoning the presidency to the South while a southern president serves his first term.

Abdussalam’s supporters, however, prevailed by emphasizing loyalty over electoral math, arguing that the former deputy governor’s sacrifices for the movement could not be overlooked.

Formal announcement of Abdussalam as the consensus candidate is expected imminently, barring any last-minute reversal.