...as he dumps ADC
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleging that the party's presidential primary was manipulated in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and declaring that an Atiku presidency would be worse for Nigeria than a second term for President Bola Tinubu.
Lawal made the claims in a statement titled "The Kachalla Series Part 1," posted on his Facebook page on Monday, in which he accused Atiku and his associates of pursuing ethnic and religious domination and warned that supporting the former vice president's presidential ambition would guarantee Tinubu's re-election in 2027.
The former SGF said his decision to leave the party was prompted by what he described as widespread rigging during the ADC primaries.
According to him, the exercise was manipulated at all levels to favour Atiku, while genuine winners of some contests were allegedly denied victory.
"I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku," Lawal said.
"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. Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven."
He further alleged that in places where voting took place, successful candidates were replaced by loyalists of the former vice president.
"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 stated.
Lawal said he could not remain in a political party that he believes is preparing to manipulate 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," he said.
The former SGF reserved some of his strongest criticism for Atiku himself, accusing the former vice president and his political allies of pursuing what he described as a narrow ethnic and religious agenda.
"The man and his cabal are just irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonists," Lawal alleged.
He argued that Atiku's candidacy would weaken the opposition and ultimately strengthen President Tinubu's chances of securing another term in office.
"For me, working for Kachalla Atiku means giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term, which gives me nightmares," he said.
Lawal went further by suggesting that despite his dissatisfaction with the current administration, Tinubu would still perform better than Atiku if both men were compared as presidents.
"I believe Tinubu might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be, as bad as Tinubu currently is and possibly could ever be," he stated.
Describing the 2027 election as a difficult choice, Lawal said the country appeared headed towards what he called a "Morton's fork" between two undesirable alternatives.
The former SGF also questioned Atiku's capacity to govern, describing him as an "incompetent" leader who lacks the ability to reverse Nigeria's economic and security challenges.
He expressed concern about what he said could be the consequences of an Atiku administration, drawing parallels with criticisms often directed at the current government.
"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 further claimed that an Atiku presidency could encourage the same type of family influence in government that critics accuse the current administration of promoting.
He wrote: "With close to 25 adult children, six wives, past and present, some offshore, and a heavily shrunk decapitated business empire, I foresee 25 Seyi Tinubus and six Remi Tinubus."
The former SGF also criticised northern politicians and delegates who supported Atiku's emergence, saying he was surprised they would rally behind someone he described as incapable of addressing the region's worsening poverty and insecurity.
"I would have thought that when Northerners insist on a northern president, they would be thinking of one that will stop the downward spiral into poverty and insecurity, not an ineptocrat like Kachalla Atiku," he said.
He accused northern political elites of preferring what he termed a "religious hegemonist" to more competent alternatives.
"It will be bye-bye to the North for preferring a religious hegemonist over a competent world-renowned economist and corporate guru," he stated.
Lawal said he would now consult with political associates on strategies to prevent Atiku from becoming president in 2027.
"While I will be tweaking my plans for the future and consulting with like-minded colleagues on how to stop this incompetent octogenarian from coming close to the presidential office, I will in the meantime retire to my village farm," he said.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Atiku Abubakar nor the leadership of the ADC had responded to the allegations.
Lawal's resignation comes amid increasing political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 general election and is likely to fuel fresh debate within opposition circles over the direction of the ADC following the emergence of Atiku as its presidential candidate.
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