Babachir Lawal Dumps ADC, Alleges Atiku’s Primary Victory Was Rigged

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress, alleging that the party’s recent presidential primary was manipulated in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Lawal announced his resignation in a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Monday, stating that he could no longer remain in a party whose primary election process lacked credibility and transparency.

According to him, the presidential primary was heavily skewed in favour of Atiku, whom he referred to as “Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” alleging that the outcome was predetermined.

“I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” Lawal stated.

The former SGF further alleged that election results were manipulated to favour Atiku and his loyalists. He claimed that in some areas where voting took place, candidates who emerged victorious were allegedly replaced with individuals aligned with the former vice president.

“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 said.

Lawal noted that his resignation was influenced by his unwillingness to remain associated with a political structure he believes could undermine future electoral processes.

His departure comes amid lingering controversy surrounding the ADC presidential primary held on May 25, 2026. Atiku was declared winner of the contest with 1,846,370 votes, defeating former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who secured 177,120 votes.

The exercise had earlier attracted criticism from some aspirants. Hayatu-Deen publicly distanced himself from the process before the results were announced, citing concerns over alleged vote manipulation and the integrity of the primary.

Amaechi also raised questions about the conduct of the exercise, alleging irregularities in the process.

Despite his reservations, Hayatu-Deen later declined to challenge the outcome after meeting with Atiku, saying he prioritised party unity and the broader objective of building a strong opposition platform ahead of future elections.

Lawal said he would now consult with political associates regarding his next move while maintaining his opposition to Atiku’s presidential ambition.