Babachir Lawal Reveals How He Brought Obi and Kwankwaso Into ADC Despite Atiku Fears Ahead of 2027
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has said he persuaded Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), even though both men had reservations about the involvement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the party.
Lawal made the disclosure on Monday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time. He was recounting the negotiations that took place before the two politicians entered the opposition party ahead of its presidential primary and the 2027 general elections.
According to Lawal, he attended every meeting of the ADC during the period. He said Obi, the former Anambra State governor, was hesitant and kept moving in and out of the process. Lawal claimed he was the one who finally dragged Obi into the party and got him to commit.
He said Kwankwaso, the former Kano State governor, was also persuaded to join but remained uneasy. In Lawal’s account, Kwankwaso feared that with Atiku in the party, nothing good would come out of the ADC.
Lawal added that Obi shared similar worries, particularly about how the presidential primary would be conducted. He said Obi preferred a consensus arrangement, believing that an open contest could favour candidates with greater financial resources and political influence. Efforts to agree on a consensus candidate failed, Lawal said, and this contributed to the eventual exit of both Obi and Kwankwaso from the ADC. He claimed the two men later became convinced that the primary process was being tilted in favour of Atiku, who went on to emerge as the party’s presidential candidate.
Lawal, an Adamawa State-born politician and a former ally of Atiku, also left the ADC after the primary. He alleged that the exercise had been manipulated, a claim Atiku’s camp has disputed. He has since joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the platform backing Obi and Kwankwaso as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the 2027 election, and has declared his support for their joint ticket.
The ADC emerged as a coalition of opposition figures seeking to challenge the ruling party in 2027, with former Senate President David Mark chosen as its national chairman. Lawal’s account gives an insider’s view of the tensions that followed, particularly over how the party would choose its flag bearer.
Political observers say the disclosure highlights a central challenge for Nigeria’s opposition: keeping strong personalities and competing ambitions inside one platform. Disputes over primaries, consensus candidates and perceived favouritism have often split alliances before elections.
It is important to note that Lawal’s statements are his own account of private negotiations. Neither Obi nor Kwankwaso is quoted in the reports on this interview, and the claims about the ADC primary remain contested. Readers should treat the allegations as one side of an ongoing political dispute.
With the 2027 election approaching, defections, realignments and competing tickets are expected to keep shaping the opposition landscape in the months ahead.
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