A fresh controversy has emerged within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, resigned from the party and accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of influencing the outcome of its presidential primary election.
The disagreement followed the ADC presidential primary in which Atiku secured the party’s ticket with 1,846,370 votes. Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi came second with 504,117 votes, while businessman and politician Mohammed Hayatu-Deen polled 177,120 votes.
Lawal, who had been a prominent figure within the opposition coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, announced his departure from the party on Monday. In a statement shared on his social media platforms, he alleged that the primary election lacked credibility.
“I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku.
“Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of an election to be held, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate. In the real sense, it was a disgraceful charade,” Lawal said.
The former SGF also expressed concern over what he described as the reaction of party members to the outcome of the exercise.
“I sense a conspiracy of silence of which I want no part. Most members of the party are behaving as if this is the normal thing to do,” the statement further read.
Lawal maintained that he would not support any effort he considered electoral manipulation ahead of the 2027 polls. He also argued that backing Atiku’s candidacy would amount to “giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term, which gives me nightmares.”
In response, Atiku’s camp dismissed the allegations and insisted that the primary reflected the wishes of ADC members nationwide.
A statement issued by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, accused Lawal of making serious claims without presenting evidence.
“Having chosen to malign a democratic process, insult thousands of ADC members nationwide, and make grave allegations without presenting a shred of evidence, it has become necessary to set the record straight,” the statement said.
Shaibu argued that the accusations lacked proof and defended the credibility of the exercise.
“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. He has produced no documents, no verifiable facts, no credible witnesses, and no proof whatsoever to support his sensational allegations,” he said.
The statement also questioned Lawal’s criticism of the process. It noted that his relative, Omar Suleiman, emerged as the ADC governorship candidate in Adamawa State through the same primary system.
“Mr Lawal has also failed to explain how the very same primary process he now dismissed as fraudulent somehow produced a result he appears perfectly willing to accept in Adamawa State, where his cousin, Omar Suleiman, emerged as the ADC governorship candidate.
“Nigerians are entitled to ask whether the process was only credible when it favoured his family and only rigged when it produced a presidential candidate he did not support,” the statement added.
Shaibu further criticised Lawal’s public stance on integrity and accountability. He referenced controversies that surrounded his tenure as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“It is perhaps the greatest irony of this entire episode that Mr Babachir Lawal now seeks to reinvent himself as Nigeria’s newest apostle of integrity, transparency, and democratic virtue.
“Nigerians may forgive many things, but they seldom forget history. Mr Lawal is not remembered for any celebrated crusade for accountability.
“Rather, he remains one of the most prominent public officials ever removed from office under the cloud of the infamous grass-cutting contract scandal,” Shaibu said.
Lawal was removed from office in 2017 over allegations linked to contracts awarded through the Presidential Initiative on the North-East. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
The Atiku camp argued that Lawal’s dissatisfaction stemmed from the outcome of the contest rather than concerns about the conduct of the election.
“What appears to have truly unsettled Mr Lawal is not the conduct of the primaries but the outcome. Democracy guarantees participation, not victory. One cannot celebrate democracy when it produces a preferred result and suddenly condemn it as rigged when it does not,” it said.
The statement also accused Lawal of introducing ethnic and religious considerations into the debate.
“Having failed to persuade ADC members to embrace his preferred candidate, he now seeks refuge in the divisive politics of identity,” Shaibu said.
“It creates no jobs, lowers no food prices, secures no communities, and offers no pathway out of the national crisis,” he added.
Defending Atiku’s credentials, Shaibu said the former vice president remained focused on governance, economic recovery and security issues ahead of the 2027 election.
“The Nigerian people know Atiku Abubakar. They know his record in public service. They know his achievements in business. They know his commitment to national unity and economic reform,” he stressed.
“The 2027 election will not be decided by tantrums, ethnic dog whistles, recycled grievances, or revisionist history. It will be decided by the Nigerian people. And no amount of post-primary bitterness can alter that reality,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Hayatu-Deen has ruled out legal action over the outcome of the primary despite earlier raising concerns about alleged irregularities.
In a statement titled “My campaign, the silent majority and the future of our democracy,” he said national interest and the need for a strong opposition informed his decision.
“I have decided, after careful reflection and wide consultation, that I will not challenge the outcome in court.
“Nigeria urgently requires a strong, credible and united opposition. That objective must always remain larger than individual ambition or temporary political disappointment,” he said.
Before the declaration of results, Hayatu-Deen had publicly distanced himself from the process.
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC presidential election results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed.”
“How can the ADC criticise INEC for election interference and the falsification of results, and yet tolerate the same within its own house? I will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.”
Despite deciding against court action, he maintained that the conduct of the primary did not meet his expectations.
“The outcome of the May 25 primary did not fully meet my expectations, and I have communicated my deep concerns about certain processes and procedural matters directly and privately to the leadership of the party,” he stated.
Hayatu-Deen said he joined the ADC because he believed it could offer Nigerians a different political culture.
“I joined the ADC because I sincerely believed that the party represented an opportunity to build something different — a credible opposition movement anchored on a robust ideology, integrity, internal democracy and national renewal,” he said.
He thanked his supporters and urged them not to abandon the ideals that guided his campaign.
“What I will carry forward from this campaign is not bitterness, but gratitude,” he said.
Hayatu-Deen concluded by urging Nigerians to remain committed to democratic values and national development.
“This campaign may have come to an end, but the larger task of building a stronger, fairer and more prosperous Nigeria continues. And that cause remains worthy of our collective effort,” he said.
