Politics
Health
Atiku, Amaechi Battle For ADC Presidential Ticket As Primaries Hold Nationwide
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi have participated in the presidential primaries of the African Democratic Congress amid growing internal rivalry over the party’s 2027 presidential ticket.
The exercise, which took place simultaneously across 8,809 wards nationwide, comes as opposition figures intensify efforts to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku Casts Vote In Adamawa
Atiku disclosed through his X account that he voted at the Ajiya Ward Polling Unit in Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State.
The former presidential candidate described the exercise as a demonstration of democracy and a major step towards rebuilding Nigeria.
“This is democracy at work. The election taking place simultaneously in 8,809 wards in Nigeria is a major step in our quest to recover our beloved country and set it on the path of prosperity,” Atiku wrote.
Amaechi Votes In Rivers
Amaechi also participated in the exercise from his hometown in Ubima community, Rivers State.
A video shared by ADC Vanguard showed the former Minister of Transportation arriving at the polling venue to cast his vote.
The latest development further highlights the growing power struggle within the ADC coalition as several opposition leaders seek control of the party ahead of the next presidential election.
Amaechi Targets Atiku’s Electability
Amaechi recently stated during an interview on Trust TV that Atiku could lose the ADC presidential primary despite his long history of winning party tickets.
According to him, the major issue before delegates should be electability rather than how many primaries a candidate has won in the past.
“I listened when they said former Vice President said he never failed primary before. I hope this will be the first time he will fail primary,” Amaechi said.
“But that’s not even the issue. The issue is that at all times that you have passed primary, you have not won election. So it’s about electability.”
The former governor also questioned what Atiku still had to offer Nigerians after several presidential attempts.
ADC Crisis Deepens
The ADC had earlier postponed its presidential screening exercise following disagreements among stakeholders over moves to adopt a consensus candidate.
The internal disagreements reportedly involve Atiku, Amaechi, and former presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
The party has recently emerged as a platform attracting opposition politicians seeking to challenge Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
I joined other prospective voters of the African Democratic Congress in our party's presidential primaries in casting my vote at the Ajiya Ward Polling Unit in Jimeta Yola, Adamawa State. This is democracy at work. The election taking place simultaneously in 8,809 Wards in… pic.twitter.com/S52mR0E9LU
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) May 25, 2026
Economy
US Warns DR Congo Team Over Ebola Ahead of World Cup
Democratic Republic of the Congo have insisted they will not alter their World Cup preparations despite a warning from the United States over the country’s ongoing Ebola outbreak.
According to reports by The Guardian, US officials directed the DR Congo national team to remain isolated in a training bubble in Belgium for 21 days before travelling to the United States for the tournament.
US Issues Strict Warning
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, said American authorities had already informed FIFA and the Congolese government about the restriction.
“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11th,” Giuliani said.
“We want to make sure there is nothing that’s going to come in or near our borders,” he added.
The US Department of Homeland Security also stated that the move was necessary to protect players, officials and millions of fans expected at the tournament.
DR Congo Refuses To Change Schedule
Despite the warning, officials of the Congolese team said there were no plans to alter their training schedule.
A spokesperson for the team reportedly confirmed that all players were currently based in Europe and had not recently travelled from Congo.
“We have kept our training programme. No player in the squad has come from DRC,” the official said.
The team is expected to play friendly matches against Denmark in Liège on June 3 and Chile in Cádiz on June 9.
However, a planned three-day visit to Kinshasa as part of their World Cup send-off has now been cancelled.
WHO Raises Ebola Alarm
The development comes after the World Health Organization raised the Ebola outbreak risk in DR Congo to “very high.”
According to the organisation, the rare Bundibugyo strain currently spreading in parts of the country has no approved vaccine or treatment.
The WHO disclosed that there are currently 82 confirmed Ebola cases and seven confirmed deaths in DR Congo, alongside hundreds of suspected infections and fatalities.
Historic World Cup Return
DR Congo qualified for the FIFA World Cup for only the second time in history after previously appearing in 1974 when the country competed as Zaire.
The team is expected to camp in Houston during the tournament and will begin their Group K campaign against Portugal on June 17.
