Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, has formally resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), releasing a strongly worded statement in which he accused Atiku Abubakar of rigging the party’s presidential primaries and described him as an “incompetent octogenarian” and “tribal and religious bigot.”
In the statement titled “The Kachalla Series Part 1”, Lawal said he was exiting the party because the just-concluded ADC presidential primaries were “massively rigged at all levels” in favour of Atiku.
Lawal alleged that the primaries were a “disgraceful charade,” claiming that results were written or rewritten to favour Atiku and members of his “syndicate.” He said even where some form of voting took place, winners were replaced with Atiku’s preferred candidates. He stated that he was leaving the party to avoid being part of what he called “Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine” in the 2027 general elections.
Lawal Accuses Atiku of Rigging and Hegemony
Lawal went further to describe Atiku and his supporters as “irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonists,” adding that working with them would amount to handing President Bola Tinubu an automatic second term. While acknowledging that President Tinubu’s administration has driven Nigerians into “total destitution,” Lawal said he still believes Tinubu would make a better president than Atiku. He described Atiku as an “ineptocrat” and warned that the North would be “perpetually doomed to self-harm” if it continues to support him.Lawal said he would rather retire to his village farm than remain in a party he now sees as working against the interest of the country.
Major Blow to ADC
Babachir Lawal’s resignation is a significant development for the ADC, coming days after former Minister Rotimi Amaechi also rejected the party’s presidential primary results. Lawal was one of the early high-profile figures who supported the formation of the ADC as an opposition coalition. His exit, alongside his harsh criticism of Atiku, has further exposed deep divisions within the party following Atiku’s emergence as its presidential candidate. The development has triggered widespread reactions on social media, with many describing it as a major setback for the opposition platform.The ADC has not yet issued an official response to the resignation.
