Former SGF Babachir Exits ADC, Citing Rigged Primaries In Favour Of Atiku Abubakar, Weeks After Sen Abbo, Others Left

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), escalating the deepening internal crisis within the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a strongly worded statement titled “The Kachalla Series Part 1,” released on Monday, Lawal accused the party’s just-concluded primaries of being “massively rigged” at all levels in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom he repeatedly referred to as “Kachalla Abubakar Atiku.”

He described the process as a “disgraceful charade” involving written or rewritten results and the replacement of elected winners with members of Atiku’s “syndicate” and “coven.”

Lawal said he could no longer remain in the party because he refused to be part of what he called Atiku’s “rigging machine” for 2027. He expressed fears that supporting Atiku would hand President Bola Tinubu an automatic second term, describing the potential choice as a “Morton’s fork.”

While acknowledging Tinubu’s shortcomings, Lawal claimed the current president might still prove better than Atiku, whom he labelled an “incompetent octogenarian,” “tribal and religious bigot,” “irredentist Fulani,” and “religious hegemonist.”

The former SGF further criticised Atiku’s personal life and business empire, expressing concern over potential dynastic politics similar to what he perceives in the Tinubu family. He also took a swipe at Northern political actors, stating that the region appears “perpetually doomed to self-harm” for backing Atiku despite the hardships under the current administration.

Lawal announced plans to retire temporarily to his village farm while consulting with like-minded colleagues on strategies to prevent Atiku from nearing the presidency. He predicted that Tinubu’s “superior rigging machine” would ultimately defeat Atiku and his allies.
Lawal’s dramatic departure comes weeks after another prominent Adamawa politician, former Senator Ishaku Abbo (also known as Elisha Abbo), dumped the ADC for the Labour Party.

Abbo, a key figure and governorship aspirant in Adamawa State, Atiku’s home base, cited unresolved leadership crises, court judgments voiding state congresses, and internal uncertainty as reasons for his exit. His departure, along with supporters of the SIA Movement, was part of broader factional battles that have rocked the ADC in Adamawa.

Reports indicate multiple factions within the state chapter, including one associated with Babachir Lawal, contributed to the turmoil. Abbo had publicly highlighted issues such as alleged betrayal of agreements on party positions and even raised concerns over religious bias in candidate selection.

The exits of both Lawal and Abbo highlight the severe internal fractures in the ADC, particularly in Atiku’s stronghold, where power struggles over the presidential ticket and control of party structures have led to suspensions, counter-suspensions, and defections. The party’s convention and primaries appear to have deepened rather than resolved these divisions.

As more figures distance themselves, questions linger about the party’s cohesion and its ability to mount a credible challenge.