Atiku Knocks Babachir Over 'Rigged Primary' Claims, Cites Cousin's Victory

 By Kehinde Awosina 




Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to the allegations made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, over the outcome of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary, dismissing claims that the exercise was manipulated in his favour.


The latest exchange comes barely hours after Lawal announced his resignation from the ADC, alleging that the party's primaries were "massively rigged" to ensure Atiku emerged as the party's presidential candidate for the 2027 election. 


Reacting to the allegations, Atiku argued that the same primary process now being condemned by Lawal also produced his cousin, Suleiman Omar, as the ADC governorship candidate in Adamawa State.


According to Atiku, it is contradictory for Lawal to dismiss the entire exercise as fraudulent while remaining silent on the outcome that favoured a member of his family. Suleiman Omar recently emerged as the ADC governorship candidate in Adamawa after winning the party's primary election. 


The former vice president maintained that Nigerians are entitled to question whether the electoral process was only considered credible when it produced results favourable to Lawal's political interests and relatives, but suddenly became "rigged" when it yielded a presidential candidate he did not support.


Atiku further suggested that Lawal's criticisms were motivated more by disappointment over the outcome of the presidential primary than by genuine concerns about transparency and internal democracy.


The ADC presidential candidate insisted that political actors should be consistent in their assessment of electoral processes and avoid discrediting party exercises simply because the results did not align with their expectations.


The war of words between the two prominent northern politicians has added another layer of controversy to the aftermath of the ADC primaries. While Lawal insists the process was manipulated to favour Atiku, the former vice president has continued to defend the credibility of the exercise and the legitimacy of his victory. 


The development is expected to intensify debates within opposition circles as preparations for the 2027 presidential election gather momentum, with analysts closely watching the implications of the growing rift between two figures who were once key allies within the ADC political coalition.

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