Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleging that the party’s recent presidential primary was manipulated in favour of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Monday, Lawal said he could no longer remain in a party whose primary election process he described as deeply compromised and lacking credibility.
Lawal accused the ADC leadership of rigging the May 25, 2026, presidential primary to ensure Atiku’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
According to him, results were allegedly altered to favour Atiku and his supporters, while genuine winners in some areas were replaced.
He described the exercise as a “disgraceful charade,” claiming that the process was controlled by what he called Atiku’s political syndicate.
The former SGF said his resignation was also motivated by his refusal to be associated with a political structure he believes could undermine future electoral processes.
He added that he would spend time consulting with political allies on his next political move while maintaining his opposition to Atiku’s presidential ambition.
The ADC presidential primary remains a subject of controversy despite Atiku’s victory with 1,846,370 votes. Former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and businessman, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, finished second and third with 504,117 and 177,120 votes, respectively.
Both aspirants had raised concerns about alleged irregularities during the exercise, although Hayatu-Deen later ruled out challenging the outcome, saying party unity and the goal of building a credible opposition were more important than personal ambition.
