Babachir Lawal driven by bitterness, not facts, Atiku’s camp fires back

The campaign team of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly refuted allegations of irregularities in the African Democratic Congress presidential primary, leveled by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal. Lawal's camp claims he failed to present any evidence to substantiate his accusations.

In a statement released Tuesday, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described Lawal's claims as an "unfortunate cocktail of bitterness, conjecture, and political revisionism masquerading as public interest." Shaibu noted that Lawal's television interview, where he questioned the primary's credibility, offered a "curious spectacle" of sweeping allegations without factual backing.

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an unfortunate cocktail of bitterness, conjecture, and political revisionism masquerading as public interest.

"Mr Lawal spent nearly an hour making grave accusations about the conduct of the ADC presidential primary. Yet he failed to produce a single piece of verifiable evidence. No document. No petition. No result sheet. No witness statement. No recording. Nothing," Shaibu stated. He criticized Lawal for relying on unnamed sources and unverifiable accounts, contrasting this with the expected standard of evidence from a former high-ranking official.

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Mr Lawal spent nearly an hour making grave accusations about the conduct of the ADC presidential primary. Yet he failed to produce a single piece of verifiable evidence. No document. No petition. No result sheet. No witness statement. No recording. Nothing.

Shaibu suggested that Lawal's criticisms stem from personal disappointment after his preferred candidate did not win the primary. "What the interview ultimately revealed was not a whistleblower exposing wrongdoing but a disappointed political actor struggling to come to terms with the failure of his preferred candidate," he said. The statement also pointed out a perceived contradiction in Lawal's portrayal of Atiku Abubakar as both politically irrelevant and a significant factor in the primary's outcome.

The Atiku camp's response highlights a sharp political disagreement, framing Lawal's accusations as politically motivated rather than fact-based. The exchange underscores the ongoing tensions and rivalries within Nigeria's political landscape.

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What the interview ultimately revealed was not a whistleblower exposing wrongdoing but a disappointed political actor struggling to come to terms with the failure of his preferred candidate.