Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to contest the 2027 presidential election under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Lawal also questioned the party’s handling of its governorship primary in Adamawa State, alleging that the candidate who emerged from the exercise was later replaced.
The former SGF made the allegations in a Facebook post published on Sunday under the title, “Kachalla Series Three.”
According to Lawal, Engr. Umar Suleiman emerged as the ADC’s governorship candidate after the party’s primary election but was subsequently replaced by Tukur Modibbo.
He alleged that the decision was influenced by ethnic and religious considerations and further claimed that Atiku played a role in the reported substitution.
Lawal Compares Candidate Selection to Online Shopping
Lawal criticised the manner in which political parties selected their candidates, using online marketplace Temu as a metaphor for what he described as the low quality of the political choices presented to voters.
In his post, he also directed the comparison at Atiku’s presidential candidacy, describing the former vice president in similarly critical terms.
The remarks represent Lawal’s personal assessment of the candidates and the processes through which they emerged. They do not, by themselves, establish that any candidate was improperly selected.
Lawal, however, praised Suleiman, describing him as a competent and experienced individual whom he believed would have been a strong choice for the party.
He alleged that Suleiman’s replacement was not based solely on the outcome of the primary and accused party leaders of allowing ethnic and religious considerations to influence the process.
Former SGF Threatens Legal Challenge
Lawal further alleged that the reported substitution violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, the ADC Constitution and the party’s guidelines for its primary elections.
He said the matter would be taken to court for judicial determination.
According to Lawal, the judiciary should determine whether the ADC complied with the relevant electoral laws and its internal rules when selecting its Adamawa governorship candidate.
He also predicted that voters in Adamawa State could reject what he described as an attempt to impose a candidate on the electorate.
Atiku, ADC Yet to Respond
At the time of filing the report, neither Atiku Abubakar nor the ADC had publicly responded to Lawal’s allegations concerning the Adamawa governorship primary or his criticism of Atiku’s presidential candidacy.
The reported candidate substitution and the allegations surrounding the process remain matters of political dispute unless independently established by the relevant authorities or determined by the courts.
The controversy comes as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with candidate selection, internal party democracy and compliance with electoral laws expected to remain major issues in the political process.