Babachir Lawal Dumps ADC, Alleges Atiku Manipulated Party Primaries

A major political storm has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the resignation of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, who accused the party of manipulating its recently concluded primary elections in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

 Lawal, one of the founding figures of the ADC, announced his exit from the party in a strongly worded statement issued on Monday, alleging that the primary elections were “massively rigged” at multiple levels to secure victories for Atiku and candidates aligned with him.

According to the former SGF, the exercise lacked transparency and fairness, claiming that in several instances results were either altered or rewritten to favour preferred candidates. 

He alleged that even where elections appeared to have taken place, legitimate winners were eventually replaced with individuals loyal to Atiku’s political camp.

Lawal maintained that remaining in the party would amount to endorsing a process he considered fundamentally flawed.

The former APC chieftain argued that he could not participate in what he described as an emerging political structure built around electoral manipulation, insisting that his conscience would not permit him to continue in the party.

In one of the most striking portions of his statement, Lawal suggested that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite criticisms of his administration, could ultimately prove to be a better leader than Atiku.

He also expressed concerns about the opposition’s chances in the 2027 elections, warning that internal divisions and allegations of manipulation could undermine efforts to mount a credible challenge against the ruling party. 

Lawal said he would withdraw temporarily from active political engagement while consulting with associates on future political options ahead of the next election cycle.

His departure is expected to intensify debate within the ADC and could trigger fresh conversations about internal democracy within opposition parties preparing for the 2027 general elections.