Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has announced his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleging that the party’s recently concluded primaries were “massively rigged” in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement titled “The Kachalla Series Part 1,” Lawal claimed that results from the party’s primaries were manipulated to favour Atiku and his allies.
“I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” he said.
According to Lawal, “results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven,” adding that even in areas where elections were conducted, “the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate.”
“In the real sense it was a disgraceful charade,” he stated.
The former SGF said he could not remain in the party because he did not want to be associated with what he described as Atiku’s “rigging machine” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“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,” Lawal said.
He further accused Atiku and his associates of pursuing ethnic and religious interests, describing them as “irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonists.”
Lawal argued that supporting Atiku’s presidential ambition would effectively hand President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a second term in office.
“For me, working for Kachalla Atiku means giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term,” he said.
The former SGF also launched a personal attack on the former vice president, expressing concerns about what an Atiku presidency could mean for governance.
“I did not join the ADC to make Nigeria progressively worse so my beliefs and conscience won’t allow me partner with the evil that Atiku and his people represent,” he said.
Lawal criticised northern politicians who, according to him, supported Atiku’s emergence despite what he described as widespread hardship in the region.
“I would have thought that the Northerners who helped rig the primaries for a near-senile octogenarian they all know to be an incompetent, tribal and religious bigot would be the ones that should crave the most a good post-2027 governance,” he stated.
While announcing his departure from the party, Lawal said he would consult with political allies on ways to prevent Atiku from emerging as president in 2027.
“I will be tweaking my plans for the future and consulting with like-minded colleagues on how to stop this incompetent octogenerian from coming close to the presidential office,” he said.
He added that he would temporarily return to his village while observing developments within the party and the wider political landscape.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Atiku nor the ADC had publicly responded to the allegations.
