- Alleges Widespread Rigging in Atiku’s Primary Victory
The Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), following the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Lawal, made the disclosure in a post via his verified Facebook page.
He alleged that results were “written and rewritten” to favour Atiku and his political allies, claiming that even in areas where elections were conducted, winners were allegedly replaced with members of a coordinated political network within the party.
He insisted he would not participate in what he termed as Atiku’s “rigging machine” going into the next election cycle.
Describing the exercise as a “disgraceful charade,” Lawal said he could not remain in a party where such practices were, in his view, tolerated and defended by members.
He stated that the opposition presents a difficult political dilemma ahead of the next general election, while expressing concern over a repeated patterns of internal party manipulation and elite control.
He added that he intends to step back from active partisan engagement for now, retreating to his village to reassess his political direction while still observing developments within the ADC and the broader opposition landscape.
In his remarks, he further stated that he would rather support President Bola Tinubu over the former Vice President, suggesting that Tinubu would be a more suitable option for national leadership.
The former SGF also levelled personal criticisms against Atiku, alleging incompetence and accusing him of exhibiting tribal and religious bias.