Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Lawal announced his resignation in a statement on Monday, alleging that the ADC presidential primary election was manipulated to favour Atiku.
The former SGF said he could not remain in a party where the outcome of its presidential primary was allegedly predetermined, insisting that he would not be part of what he described as a “rigging machine” ahead of the 2027 election.
Lawal also declared that President Bola Tinubu remains a better option than Atiku, whom he accused of lacking the competence required to lead Nigeria.
“I will be tweaking my plans for the future and consulting with like-minded colleagues on how to stop this incompetent octogenarian from coming close to the presidential office,” he said.
The former SGF further alleged that Atiku and his supporters had a history of vote manipulation, adding that he would watch the former vice president’s camp face defeat in the next election.
However, Atiku’s camp has strongly rejected Lawal’s allegations, describing them as baseless and unsupported by evidence.
In a statement issued by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the ADC presidential candidate’s camp accused Lawal of attempting to discredit a democratic process because he could not influence its outcome.
Shaibu maintained that the ADC presidential primary was conducted across the country and reflected the will of party members.
“The truth is straightforward. The ADC presidential primaries were conducted across thousands of wards and produced a clear and decisive outcome. What Mr Lawal has offered Nigerians is not evidence,” the statement said.
According to Atiku’s camp, Lawal failed to provide any documents, witnesses or verifiable facts to support his claims that the primary election was manipulated.
