The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has fired back at former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal, describing his recent outbursts as baseless and full of falsehoods fueled by substance abuse.
In a statement released by his media office, Atiku said he would have ignored Lawal’s rantings, which he called the ramblings of a man under the influence, but felt compelled to correct the record. He emphasized that while Lawal had every right to resign from the ADC, as political parties are voluntary associations, he had no right to tarnish his reputation with blatant lies.
The statement read: “The Atiku Media Office has noted the unwarranted and vicious attack on the character of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election.” It further clarified that accusing Atiku of religious bias or nepotism is one of the most absurd and baseless allegations anyone could make against him.
According to the statement, Atiku is one of Nigeria’s most progressive politicians, with a track record that speaks for itself. “In our view, Babachir was merely projecting his own flaws onto Atiku. The former SGF is a man who seeks power by exploiting ethnic and religious divisions. His conflicts with others stem from his selfish interests, not the welfare of the nation,” the statement added.
The response also noted that “a notorious conflict entrepreneur like Babachir Lawal is in no position to lecture Nigerians on what is good for the country.” It pointed out that when Lawal resigned from the ADC citing manipulation during the primaries, he offered no evidence to support his claims. Instead, he diverted attention by dragging Atiku’s family into the matter, which had no relevance to the primary process.
The statement concluded: “It is clear from the heap of garbage released by the former SGF that his attacks are driven by personal vendetta against Atiku Abubakar.”