Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has made fresh allegations that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary was manipulated to favor former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Lawal's allegations are not new, as he had previously made similar claims in June after resigning from the ADC. He made the latest allegations during an interview with Trust TV, where he recounted his experience during the party's presidential primary.
According to Lawal, he was serving as the ADC vice-chairman in Adamawa State when arrangements for the primary were being made. He participated in the process of constituting the committee responsible for conducting the exercise in the state. The party's guidelines required the appointment of the chairman and secretary of the electoral committee, while the state was responsible for selecting five other members. Lawal supported Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, whom he believed had a strong chance of winning the contest.
Lawal claimed that Hayatu-Deen actually secured victory in his state during the voting process. However, he alleged that the situation changed when the results were being collated. He claimed that figures recorded for Hayatu-Deen were subsequently credited to Atiku. Lawal said he raised questions when he noticed the alleged changes but claimed he was given reasons why the outcome had to favor Atiku. Some party officials told him that the party could not afford to embarrass Atiku because of his position as the party's leader.
The ADC primary, held on May 25, 2026, produced Atiku as the party's presidential candidate. Atiku was declared winner ahead of former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen. The announced figures gave Atiku 1,846,370 votes, while Amaechi received 504,117 votes and Hayatu-Deen polled 177,120 votes. The outcome was not accepted by all the contestants, with Hayatu-Deen and Amaechi raising objections to the process.
Atiku's camp has consistently rejected Lawal's allegations, accusing him of making serious claims without providing evidence to establish that the primary was manipulated. The former vice president's media team maintained that the exercise was conducted across the country and that the result reflected the votes recorded during the primary. The dispute has produced conflicting accounts from officials involved in the Adamawa exercise.
The chairman of the ADC electoral committee in Adamawa State, Nicholas Msheliza, accused Lawal of attempting to influence the result in favor of Hayatu-Deen. Msheliza alleged that Lawal contacted him after the results had been compiled and asked that the result from Hong Local Government Area be changed. He claimed Atiku won Hong Local Government Area with 11,991 votes, while Hayatu-Deen recorded 2,493 votes and Amaechi received 377 votes.
Lawal has maintained a different account of what happened during the primary, focusing on the alleged movement of votes during collation and the decision by some party officials to declare Atiku the winner despite his claims about the results from the state. The controversy has remained part of the political fallout from Atiku's emergence as the ADC candidate. Lawal has since moved away from the ADC and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.
Key points
- Babachir Lawal alleges the ADC presidential primary was rigged in favor of Atiku Abubakar.
- Atiku's camp rejects Lawal's allegations, accusing him of making unsubstantiated claims.
- The dispute has produced conflicting accounts from officials involved in the Adamawa exercise.
