01/06/2026
Babachir Lawal Dumps ADC, Accuses Atiku Camp of Rigging Primaries
By Usman Abdulkadir Taleeki
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accusing the party leadership of manipulating its recently concluded primary elections in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Citizen TV learnt that Lawal announced his resignation in a Facebook post on Monday titled “The Kachalla Series Part 1,” where he alleged that the party’s primaries at various levels were massively rigged to ensure Atiku’s emergence.
“I am exiting the ADC because its just-concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” Lawal wrote.
He claimed that election results were altered to favour Atiku and his loyalists, alleging that even in instances where elections were conducted, duly elected candidates were replaced.
“Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of election to hold, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate. In the real sense, it was a disgraceful charade,” he alleged.
Lawal said he could no longer remain in a party that, in his view, would make him complicit in what he described as a political scheme ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I am doing so because I do not intend to be part of Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine in the 2027 general elections and I cannot avoid doing so if I remain in the party,” he stated.
The former SGF also launched a scathing attack on Atiku and his political associates, accusing them of pursuing ethnic and religious domination. He further argued that supporting Atiku’s presidential ambition would ultimately hand President Bola Tinubu an easier path to securing a second term in office.
Despite expressing strong reservations about the current administration, Lawal maintained that Tinubu would still perform better as president than Atiku.
“I believe Tinubu might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be, as bad as Tinubu currently is and possibly could ever be,” he said.
Lawal added that he could not, in good conscience, remain part of a political platform that he believes would worsen Nigeria’s challenges.
He also criticised northern political leaders who allegedly backed Atiku’s emergence, questioning their judgment at a time when poverty and insecurity continue to affect millions across the region.
While announcing his departure from the ADC, Lawal said he would temporarily withdraw from active politics to consult with like-minded associates on strategies to oppose Atiku’s political ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.
He noted that he would retire to his village farm while observing political developments and engaging in consultations.
Lawal’s resignation comes amid lingering controversy surrounding the ADC primaries. His allegations follow similar complaints from some party aspirants, including former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and former banker Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who have also raised concerns over the conduct of the party’s internal elections.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Atiku Abubakar nor the ADC leadership had publicly responded to Lawal’s allegations.
