Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accusing the party of manipulating its recently concluded presidential primary in favour of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his political allies.
In a statement issued on Monday, Lawal described the primary election as “massively rigged,” alleging that the exercise was deliberately structured to guarantee the emergence of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former SGF claimed that the process lacked transparency and failed to reflect the democratic principles the party had promised its members and supporters.
According to him, the outcome of the primary was predetermined, with key party structures allegedly deployed to favour Atiku and individuals aligned with him.
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Lawal said his decision to leave the party followed what he described as a betrayal of the ideals upon which the ADC sought to build its opposition platform.
He expressed disappointment that a party expected to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians had, in his view, embraced practices similar to those often criticised in the country’s political system.
The former SGF maintained that the alleged irregularities undermined the credibility of the exercise and eroded confidence in the party’s internal democratic process.
His resignation adds to growing discontent within sections of the ADC following the presidential primary, with some aspirants and stakeholders raising concerns over the conduct of the exercise.
The development comes amid efforts by opposition parties to consolidate their structures and position themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
As of the time of filing this report, the ADC leadership had not officially responded to Lawal’s allegations.