Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen have held a closed-door reconciliation meeting following tensions that emerged after the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential primary, with Atiku and Hayatu-Deen seeking to ease concerns over the disputed contest and strengthen party unity ahead of the 2027 general election.
The reconciliation effort followed growing controversy surrounding the ADC presidential primary, which produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The contest had featured three major aspirants: Atiku, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, and Hayatu-Deen. Official results released by the party showed Atiku securing 1,846,370 votes, while Amaechi polled 504,117 votes and Hayatu-Deen received 177,120 votes. However, the outcome immediately triggered disagreements within the party.
Amaechi publicly rejected the result and described portions of the process as lacking credibility, while Hayatu-Deen reportedly distanced himself from the final declaration of results after raising concerns about alleged irregularities during the exercise. The disagreements created fresh tension within the opposition coalition at a time when party leaders were attempting to project unity ahead of the next election cycle.
According to reports, Atiku and Hayatu-Deen met privately as part of ongoing consultations aimed at reducing friction created by the primary contest.
The meeting came amid broader reconciliation efforts involving senior ADC figures following complaints raised by some aspirants and supporters after the election. Sources familiar with post-primary developments indicated that discussions focused on party cohesion, internal stability and the need to prevent disagreements from weakening the opposition platform ahead of future political engagements.
The engagement was viewed as significant because Hayatu-Deen had emerged as one of the leading contenders in the race and remained an influential voice among sections of the party’s support base. Political observers noted that the decision by Atiku and Hayatu-Deen to engage in reconciliation discussions reflected attempts to calm tensions before they developed into a wider internal crisis.
The ADC primary was initially presented as a major democratic contest within the opposition coalition. Yet shortly after voting concluded, questions began emerging regarding turnout figures, collation processes and the credibility of certain results announced during the exercise.
The controversy intensified after both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of the process. Reports indicated that Hayatu-Deen boycotted the final declaration ceremony and raised concerns regarding alleged irregularities he claimed to have observed during the exercise.
Those developments shifted attention from Atiku’s victory to the integrity of the primary itself. As criticism mounted, party stakeholders began a series of consultations designed to restore confidence among members and prevent divisions within the coalition. The meeting involving Atiku and Hayatu-Deen formed part of those wider reconciliation efforts.
The post-primary tensions have highlighted the challenges facing opposition parties attempting to build a united political front ahead of 2027. Analysts noted that while Atiku entered the race as the dominant political figure within the ADC, managing relationships with rival aspirants remains critical to maintaining party stability.
The reconciliation process is therefore seen as an important step in ensuring that disagreements arising from the primary do not undermine future electoral preparations. Party leaders have continued to emphasise unity, consultations and internal dialogue as they seek to consolidate support across different factions.
