2027 Crisis: Babachir Lawal Dumps ADC, Slams Atiku’s ‘Rigged’ Primary Victory

​ABUJA — In a development that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s opposition coalition, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

​Lawal’s exit follows the controversial May 25, 2026, presidential primary, which saw former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerge victorious with 1,846,370 votes, defeating former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi and economist Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

​In a scathing statement titled “The Kachalla Series Part 1” published on his official Facebook page on Monday, June 1, 2026, Lawal did not mince words. He characterized the internal election as a “disgraceful charade,” alleging that the results were systematically written and rewritten at all levels to favor Atiku and what he termed his “coven.”

​Allegations of a ‘Rigging Machine’

​Lawal, an Adamawa-born politician who was previously a key figure in the opposition realignment that adopted the ADC to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, stated that remaining in the party would compromise his conscience.

​”I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” Lawal wrote. “I do not intend to be part of Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine in the 2027 general elections, and I cannot avoid doing so if I remain in the party.”

​He further leveled severe ethno-religious criticisms against Atiku and his inner circle, describing them as “irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonists.” Lawal lamented that the North appeared “perpetually doomed to self-harm,” questioning why northern delegates would back an octogenarian whom he termed an “ineptocrat,” rather than a “competent world-renowned economist and corporate guru.”

​The ‘Morton’s Fork’ of 2027

​Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the former SGF painted a grim picture for the electorate, describing the eventual choice between incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar as a “Morton’s fork”—a choice between two equally unpleasant alternatives.

​Surprisingly, despite his past criticisms of the current administration, Lawal suggested that President Tinubu remains a preferable option to an Atiku presidency.

​”I believe Tinubu might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be (as bad as Tinubu currently is and possibly could ever be),” Lawal asserted. He added that Atiku’s candidacy effectively hands Tinubu “an automatic ticket to a second term,” a prospect he admitted gives him “nightmares.”

​Presidency Reacts with Derision

​The presidency wasted no time in capitalizing on the internal friction within the opposition. Reacting to the development on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, taunted the former Vice President on social media.

​”We have not fired any bullet against veteran presidential runner and northern hegemonic Abubakar Atiku yet,” Onanuga wrote. “But a close ally just destroyed Atiku in many unflattering words. It’s a warning that the man should retire to Dubai quickly.”

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​Growing Discontent Within the ADC

​While Lawal has announced plans to retreat to his village farm to “tweak his future plans” and consult with like-minded colleagues, the ADC continues to grapple with the fallout of the primary.

​Though third-place runner Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has ruled out a formal challenge in the interest of party unity, second-place finisher Rotimi Amaechi had already raised concerns regarding irregularities during the nationwide ward collation. Lawal’s dramatic departure amplifies these transparency concerns, threatening to fracture the fragile opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.