An Abuja Federal High Court has officially dismissed the lawsuit initiated by former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, which contested Atiku Abubakar’s win in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik closed the matter on Friday following a formal request for withdrawal from Amaechi’s legal counsel, Jibrin Okutepa.
Okutepa informed the court that the involved parties had reached an amicable settlement. The original dispute arose from the May primary, where Atiku secured the nomination with 1,846,370 votes, leaving Amaechi in second place with 504,117 votes, and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in third with 177,120 votes.
Initially, Amaechi contested the results by citing allegations of electoral irregularities and voter disenfranchisement, eventually filing a lawsuit that claimed violations of the 2026 Electoral Act and party guidelines. He had sought to block the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognizing Atiku as the party’s official candidate. The legal challenge became moot after the ADC named Amaechi as Atiku’s running mate for the upcoming 2027 election, leading to the court’s decision to strike out the case.
