Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over claims that the party’s recent presidential primary was manipulated in favor of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Lawal announced his resignation from the party in a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Monday, saying he could no longer remain in a party whose primary process he described as fundamentally flawed.
“I am exiting the ADC because its just-concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favor of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” Lawal said.
Lawal alleged that results were altered to favor Atiku and his supporters, adding that even in areas where voting was conducted, declared winners were allegedly replaced.
“Results were just written or rewritten to favor him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of an election to hold, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate. “In the real sense, it was a disgraceful charade,” he said.
Lawal stated that his decision to leave the party was also motivated by his refusal to be associated with what he described as a political structure that could influence future elections.
His departure comes amid ongoing controversy over the ADC presidential primary on May 25, 2026, which resulted in Atiku being the party’s presidential candidate.
Atiku was proclaimed the winner of the contest with 1,846,370 votes, while former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen finished second and third with 504,117 and 177,120 votes, respectively.
Some aspirants have criticized the primary system. Prior to the results announcement, Hayatu-Deen officially withdrew himself from the process, raising worries about purported vote manipulation and the exercise’s legitimacy.
Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi also expressed reservations about the primaries, claiming irregularities in the process.
However, during Atiku’s recent visit, Hayatu-Deen ruled out appealing the primary results, stating that he had prioritized party unity and the larger goal of forming a credible opposition for future elections over personal political ambition.
Lawal, however, noted he would spend time consulting with political associates on his next steps while continuing to oppose Atiku’s presidential ambition.
