Atiku slams Babachir over ethnic remarks, conspiracy claims

Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has launched a sharp rebuke against former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal. Abubakar accused Lawal of promoting ethnic prejudice, peddling conspiracy theories, and exacerbating divisions in Nigeria when the country most needs unity to tackle its numerous challenges.

In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Abubakar asserted that Lawal's recent public criticisms lacked factual basis and evidence. Instead, he claimed, they relied on ethnic profiling and inflammatory rhetoric designed to discredit political opponents.

Abubakar found Lawal's persistent effort to link an entire ethnic group with the actions of a few criminal elements particularly troubling. "It was both dangerous and irresponsible to suggest that any Nigerian should be judged, condemned, or held accountable for crimes committed by individuals simply because they share a common ancestry," Abubakar stated. He warned that such reasoning undermines national cohesion and could widen existing fault lines in a country already struggling with insecurity, economic hardship, and political tensions.

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It was both dangerous and irresponsible to suggest that any Nigerian should be judged, condemned, or held accountable for crimes committed by individuals simply because they share a common ancestry.

The exchange represents a significant development in the political realignments ahead of the 2027 general election, as opposition figures position themselves against both the ruling establishment and rival political actors. Abubakar also pointed out inconsistencies in Lawal's public persona.

He noted that on the same day Lawal criticized him, the former SGF reportedly gave media interviews emphasizing his political relevance and claiming that several governors were interested in bringing him back to the All Progressives Congress. "Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: which Babachir should they believe? The Babachir who claims to be a victim of political conspiracies and ethnic domination, or the Babachir who boasts that governors are scrambling for his services?" Abubakar questioned. He characterized Lawal's stance as a "man struggling to reconcile personal disappointment with political reality."

Furthermore, Abubakar accused Lawal of attempting to stigmatize the Fulani ethnic group, despite having served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, who is of Fulani extraction. Abubakar reminded that Buhari appointed Lawal to the high office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

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Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: which Babachir should they believe? The Babachir who claims to be a victim of political conspiracies and ethnic domination, or the Babachir who boasts that governors are scrambling for his services?