Babachir Lawal dumps ADC, says Atiku’s primary win was rigged

Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing alleged rigging in the party's recent presidential primary. Lawal announced his departure on Monday via his Facebook page, stating he could no longer remain in a party whose primary process he deemed fundamentally flawed.

"I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour Kachalla Abubakar Atiku," Lawal declared. He further alleged that results were altered and declared winners replaced with Atiku's supporters, calling the exercise a "disgraceful charade."

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I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour Kachalla Abubakar Atiku.

Lawal's decision comes amid controversy surrounding the ADC presidential primary held on May 25, 2026, which declared Atiku Abubakar the winner with 1,846,370 votes. Other aspirants, including former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, placed second and third, respectively. Hayatu-Deen had previously raised concerns about alleged vote manipulation and the integrity of the exercise.

While Hayatu-Deen has since stated he will not challenge the outcome, prioritizing party unity, Lawal indicated he would consult with political associates on his future moves. He remains committed to opposing Atiku Abubakar's presidential ambition.

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Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of election to hold, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate. In the real sense it was a disgraceful charade.