Amaechi Withdraws Lawsuit Against Atiku's Primary Win

Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State, withdrew his lawsuit against Atiku Abubakar's victory in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary. The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Joyc Abdulmalik, dismissed the case on Friday after Amaechi's lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa, formally withdrew the suit.

The ADC announced that Atiku won the primary held on May 1, 2023, with 846,370 votes, defeating Amaechi, who secured 504,117 votes, and Moham Hayatu Deen, who received 177,120 votes. Although Amaechi initially rejected the outcome, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice, he later sought to argue that the primary violated the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the ADC's constitution.

He requested the court to prevent Atiku from being recognized as the party's flag bearer by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, in June, the ADC announced that Amaechi would serve as Atiku's running mate for the 2027 presidential election.