Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has dismissed the purported suspension of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, himself, and other party leaders by a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as the handiwork of “Indian hemp smokers.”
Babachir, who is the Vice Chairman of the ADC in the North-East, said the claim should be disregarded.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that a factional chairman of the ADC in Adamawa State, Raji Zumo, had, during a press conference on Monday, announced the suspension of Atiku, Lawal, and the party’s transition committee chairman, Sadiq Ibrahim.
The development is the latest twist in the lingering leadership crisis rocking the party in the state.
Reacting in an interview with journalists on Monday, Babachir ridiculed the move, questioning the credibility of those behind it.
“If some people take heavy Indian hemp, they can claim to be President of Nigeria, so don’t consider them as normal people. Indian hemp is at duty,” he said while speaking to The PUNCH.
He further argued that Zumo lacked the authority to speak for the party in Adamawa State.
“Raji’s actions demonstrated the power of Indian hemp against our young men. What is his position in the party in Adamawa State, if not the influence of drugs?” Babachir queried.
State Chairman Disowns Faction
Also reacting, the Adamawa State Chairman of the ADC, Shehu Yohanna, described the suspension as baseless, insisting that Zumo was no longer a member of the party.
“Raji was my deputy, before he disappeared to an unknown place, only for him to resurface on social media on Monday, suspending our father, Atiku Abubakar,” Yohanna said.
Meanwhile, an Adamawa State High Court has ordered the suspension of the party’s congresses in the state.
Justice Ahmed Isa of Yola High Court No. 6 gave the order on Thursday, halting the exercise slated for that day pending the determination of a suit before the court.
The case was adjourned to April 15, 2026, for continuation of the hearing.
The embattled state chairman, Yohanna, had approached the court seeking to stop the congresses, alleging that he was excluded from the planning process.
He filed the suit against the state chairman of the ADC transition committee, Sadiq Dasin.
When contacted over the court development, Lawal said he was unaware of the proceedings.
“I am in Abuja, so I don’t know about the case. Go and ask those that were in court today. I don’t know anything about the court case,” he said.