‘Atiku will 100 percent win ADC primaries; Obi, Amaechi may step down’ — Umar Ardo

Umar Ardo, Convener of the League of Northern Democrats, has said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would likely emerge victorious if he contests the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primaries.

Ardo made the statement on Friday during an appearance on AIT’s Focus Nigeria, where he discussed possible outcomes if the party opts for either competitive or consensus-based primaries.

According to him, a consensus arrangement within the ADC would require major aspirants, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi, to step down for a single candidate.

He argued that such an arrangement would be difficult to achieve, noting that the major contenders each have strong political backing that could resist withdrawal decisions.

Ardo suggested that while Peter Obi may be open to stepping down, his support base would likely oppose such a move. He added that Atiku Abubakar, despite having a support structure that could tolerate compromise, is unlikely to withdraw from a race.

He further stated that if the party proceeds with open primaries—whether direct or delegate-based—Atiku would have the upper hand. In his words, Atiku would “win 100 percent” even if the process were repeated multiple times.