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Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress and accused the party leadership of manipulating the presidential primary election that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election. Lawal announced his exit on Thursday, describing the exercise as fundamentally flawed and lacking the transparency expected from a party seeking to present itself as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress. (punchng.com)
In a statement released shortly after his resignation, Lawal claimed that the outcome of the primary had been predetermined long before voting commenced. He alleged that the process was heavily influenced by powerful political interests aligned with Atiku and argued that genuine competition was impossible because key structures within the party had already been captured by one faction. According to him, many delegates and party members were sidelined during the exercise, while the final results did not reflect the true wishes of the party’s grassroots supporters. (punchng.com)
Lawal’s resignation adds to the growing controversy surrounding the ADC presidential primary, which has already been rejected by former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. Both aspirants accused the party leadership of widespread irregularities, voter disenfranchisement, and manipulation of results after Atiku recorded sweeping victories across multiple states. The former SGF warned that if opposition parties continue repeating the same internal practices they criticise in ruling parties, Nigerians could lose confidence in their ability to deliver meaningful political change. (punchng.com)
The latest development represents another setback for the ADC at a time when the party has been trying to position itself as a major opposition platform ahead of the 2027 elections. Political analysts say the departure of influential figures such as Babachir Lawal could complicate efforts to build a broad anti-APC coalition, especially as opposition leaders continue negotiating alliances and power-sharing arrangements nationwide. Despite the growing criticism, Atiku’s supporters maintain that the primary was conducted fairly and insist that the former vice president remains the strongest candidate capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu in the next presidential election. (punchng.com)
