ADC Primary Was Rigged, I Know What Atiku Camp Did – Babachir Lawal Claims

According to Ireporter Online, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has alleged that the primary election of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was marred by irregularities, insisting he possesses evidence to support claims that the exercise was rigged.

Lawal made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s political programme, Politics Today, where he maintained that he was physically present during the electoral process in his capacity as the National Vice Chairman (North-East) and closely monitored proceedings.

He dismissed claims made by supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, arguing that their denial of wrongdoing was inconsistent with what transpired during the exercise. He further stated that the results were manipulated as they were being announced, insisting that he had first-hand knowledge of how the process unfolded.

In a separate clarification, Lawal also rejected allegations that he received financial inducement from ADC presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. He described the claims as baseless and challenged those making the accusations to provide evidence of any alleged transaction.

He maintained that his support for Hayatu-Deen was based solely on competence and leadership capacity, not financial considerations. Lawal further argued that his political stance was guided by personal conviction, adding that competence, in his view, placed Hayatu-Deen above his rivals.

According to him, no money exchange ever took place, and he questioned the credibility of the allegations, insisting that they were politically motivated. He also referenced President Bola Tinubu while dismissing suggestions that he could be influenced financially by other actors.

Meanwhile, Lawal reiterated his position that the ADC primary was compromised, maintaining that what he witnessed during the process formed the basis of his conclusions.