Atiku Camp Responds to Babachir Lawal Over Obi, Kwankwaso ADC Claims
The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has a well-documented history of rejecting claims made by Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Lawal’s latest remarks, that he persuaded Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) despite their fears about Atiku, have drawn fresh attention to that feud.
At the time of writing, no fresh, direct reply from Atiku or his aides to Lawal’s Monday interview on Arise Television had been found in published reports. The camp’s earlier statements show how it is likely to see the matter.
The dispute began when Lawal resigned from the ADC after the party’s May 25 presidential primary, which produced Atiku as its candidate. Lawal alleged that the exercise was manipulated in Atiku’s favour and described it as a “disgraceful charade.” Atiku’s camp rejected this. Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, said Lawal had spoken for nearly an hour without producing any documents, witness accounts, recordings or other verifiable evidence. The camp maintained that the primaries were held across thousands of wards and produced a clear and decisive outcome.
Atiku himself later accused Lawal of abandoning facts for ethnic profiling and prejudice. He noted that Lawal held the highest public office of his career under President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani, and questioned why he now criticised the same group. He also pointed out that Lawal had claimed in interviews that several governors wanted him back in the All Progressives Congress, and asked Nigerians which Babachir they should believe.
Another statement, from the Atiku Media Office spokesman Paul Ibe, accused Lawal of attacking Atiku personally instead of answering questions about his own role in the primary process. That claim is an allegation from the camp and has not been independently established.
In July, Shaibu again denied a claim linked to Lawal, this time about a supposed plot to replace the ADC governorship candidate in Adamawa State. He called the allegation “entirely false” and baseless and said it was meant to create tension within the party.
Lawal has since joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which is fielding Obi as its presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as his running mate. He has also claimed that Atiku asked him to persuade Obi to join the ADC and accept the vice-presidential slot. Obi has denied that any such offer was made to him. He said he was never in a position where it was offered and refused, and that alliances between parties should be discussed at party level.
Political analysts say the exchange shows how bitter the split within the opposition has become. Each side offers a different version of events, and most of the claims rest on private conversations that cannot easily be verified.
For voters, the main question is whether the opposition can present a united front in 2027. Until the parties or the individuals involved say more, the competing accounts are likely to keep circulating.
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