ADC primary rigging allegations intensify as Babachir Lawal quits the party and Atiku Abubakar’s camp strongly rejects the claims

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, on Monday exchanged sharp accusations over the conduct of the African Democratic Congress presidential primary election, deepening divisions within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general election.

Also read: BREAKING: Babachir Lawal resigns from ADC after Atiku emerges candidate

The latest dispute erupted after Lawal announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress, alleging that the party’s presidential primary, which produced Atiku as its candidate, was manipulated in favour of the former vice president.

Atiku secured 1,846,370 votes in the primary held last week, defeating former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes, and businessman-politician Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who garnered 177,120 votes.

In a statement posted on his social media platforms, Lawal described the exercise as a “disgraceful charade” and accused party leaders of orchestrating outcomes to favour Atiku.

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

The former SGF alleged that results were rewritten and winners replaced with individuals loyal to Atiku’s camp, claiming the process lacked credibility.

Lawal said his decision to speak out was prompted by what he described as widespread silence among party members regarding the conduct of the primaries.

He also declared that he would not be part of any political arrangement he believed could compromise the integrity of the 2027 elections, arguing that supporting Atiku’s ambition would effectively hand President Bola Tinubu an easier path to re-election.

However, Atiku’s camp swiftly rejected the allegations.

In a strongly worded statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president’s team dismissed the claims as baseless and unsupported by evidence.

“Having chosen to malign a democratic process, insult thousands of ADC members nationwide, and make grave allegations without presenting a shred of evidence, it has become necessary to set the record straight,” the statement said.

Shaibu maintained that the presidential primary reflected the collective will of party members and challenged Lawal to provide proof of the alleged manipulation.

“The ADC presidential primaries were conducted across thousands of wards and produced a clear and decisive outcome,” he stated.

The Atiku camp further accused Lawal of political inconsistency, noting that he had not questioned the legitimacy of the same primary process in Adamawa State, where his cousin, Omar Suleiman, emerged as the party’s governorship candidate.

“Nigerians are entitled to ask whether the process was only credible when it favoured his family and only rigged when it produced a presidential candidate he did not support,” Shaibu said.

In one of the most pointed sections of the response, Atiku’s camp revived the controversy that led to Lawal’s removal as Secretary to the Government of the Federation in 2017 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Shaibu argued that Lawal’s attempt to position himself as a champion of transparency contrasted sharply with allegations that surrounded his tenure in office, including the widely publicised grass-cutting contract scandal, which Lawal has consistently denied.

The Atiku camp also dismissed suggestions that the former vice president had benefited from any unfair advantage, insisting that democracy guarantees participation but not victory.

“What appears to have truly unsettled Mr Lawal is not the conduct of the primaries but the outcome,” the statement added.

The controversy comes as another former presidential aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, ruled out a legal challenge to the outcome of the primary despite expressing concerns over alleged procedural breaches.

In a post-primary statement titled “My Campaign, the Silent Majority and the Future of Our Democracy,” Hayatu-Deen said he had chosen party unity over personal ambition.

The former aspirant had earlier boycotted the declaration of results, citing reports of vote manipulation and questioning whether the party was practising the democratic standards it publicly advocated.

Despite those reservations, Hayatu-Deen said he would not seek judicial intervention.

“I have decided, after careful reflection and wide consultation, that I will not challenge the outcome in court,” he said.

He argued that Nigeria urgently needs a strong and credible opposition capable of offering voters an alternative platform ahead of the next presidential election.

While acknowledging that the outcome fell short of his expectations, Hayatu-Deen said he had privately communicated his concerns to the party leadership and remained committed to the broader cause of national renewal.

Also read: Atiku wins ADC primary in landslide victory 2027 race

The exchange between Atiku and Lawal represents the most significant internal fallout since the ADC presidential primary and raises fresh questions about opposition unity as political parties begin positioning for the 2027 contest.