The Presidency has ridiculed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar following the exit of Babachir Lawal from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a statement on Monday, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga described Lawal’s departure as a harsh blow to Atiku’s political ambitions.
Onanuga took to X (formerly Twitter) to declare that Lawal had delivered a scathing rejection of both Atiku and the ADC, likening the move to a bitter divorce. He wrote, “Babachir David Lawal just handed Atiku Abubakar and his captured ADC a stinging rebuke, along with a bitter divorce.”
Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced his resignation via Facebook, citing widespread irregularities in the party’s just-concluded primaries. He alleged that the primaries at all levels were rigged in favor of Atiku and his loyalists, with election results fabricated and winners replaced by individuals aligned with the former vice president.
The former SGF stated that he could not remain in a party he accused of operating as a “rigging machine” in preparation for the 2027 general elections. He further criticized Atiku and his allies for promoting ethnic and religious agendas, arguing that Atiku’s emergence as the ADC presidential candidate would inadvertently boost President Bola Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term.
Lawal also condemned northern political leaders and delegates for backing Atiku despite the region’s ongoing economic and security crises. He questioned their judgment, suggesting that their support for Atiku was misguided given the challenges facing the North.