By Tgnews Reporter
In a scathing exit statement that has sent ripples through Nigeria’s opposition circles, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has announced his departure from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing massive rigging of the party’s primaries in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Lawal, who described the primaries as a “disgraceful charade,” claimed results were arbitrarily written and rewritten to favour Atiku and his allies, with elected winners in some cases replaced by members of what he termed Atiku’s “syndicate” and “coven.”
“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.”
In the strongly worded statement, titled The Kachalla Series Part 1, Lawal declared he had no intention of being part of what he called “Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He accused Atiku and his inner circle of being “irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonists,” arguing that supporting the former vice president would hand President Bola Tinubu an automatic second term.
“Working for Kachalla Atiku means giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term which gives me nightmares,” he stated. “I believe Tinubu might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be… The choice in 2027 it seems will be a Morton’s fork.”
Lawal expressed deep reservations about Atiku’s personal life and political baggage, citing his large family and business history as potential liabilities that could mirror or exceed the controversies surrounding the Tinubu administration.
“For, with close to 25 adult children, 6 wives (past and present, some offshore) and a heavily shrunk decapitated business empire, I foresee 25 Seyi Tinubus and 6 Remi Tinubus; a prospect that has been keeping me awake all night with worry,” he wrote.
The former SGF also questioned the judgment of Northern political leaders who backed Atiku, describing the 81-year-old presidential aspirant as a “near-senile octogenarian,” “incompetent,” “tribal and religious bigot,” and “ineptocrat.”
He argued that the North, already grappling with severe poverty and insecurity under the current administration, should have prioritised competent leadership over regional and religious sentiments.
“Alas, a leopard cannot change its spots. The North, it seems, is perpetually doomed to self-harm,” Lawal lamented.
He announced plans to retire temporarily to his village farm while consulting with like-minded colleagues on strategies to prevent Atiku from contesting the presidency. Lawal predicted that Tinubu’s “ruthless and superior rigging machine” would ultimately overpower Atiku’s camp.
“Then, it will be bye bye to this octogenarian presidential wannabe. It will be bye bye to the North for preferring a religious hegemonist over a competent world-renown economist and corporate guru,” he concluded.
Lawal’s bombshell departure comes as opposition parties intensify efforts to form a formidable coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 polls.
His exit highlights growing fissures within the ADC and raises fresh questions about the integrity of the party’s internal democratic processes.
As of the time of filing this report, the ADC and Atiku Abubakar’s camp are yet to issue official responses to Lawal’s allegations.
Political observers say the development could trigger further defections and reshape opposition strategies in the coming months.
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