Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has taken a swipe at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his presidential bid on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while also challenging the party’s process of selecting its governorship candidate in Adamawa State.
Lawal expressed his concerns in a Facebook post published on Sunday under the title, “Kachalla Series Three.” He alleged that the ADC altered the outcome of its governorship primary by replacing the aspirant who initially secured victory.
According to him, Engr. Umar Suleiman won the party’s governorship primary but was later removed and replaced with Tukur Moddibo.
The former SGF claimed that the decision was influenced by ethnic interests and suggested that Atiku played a part in the development.
Lawal also ridiculed the manner in which the APC and ADC arrived at their respective governorship candidates, comparing the process to purchasing items from TEMU, the Chinese-based online shopping platform.
He alleged that the APC had secured its candidate through what he described as a “TEMU” arrangement and claimed that the ADC appeared to have followed a similar pattern.
Taking his criticism further, Lawal also mocked Atiku’s presidential ambition, likening him to what he described as a “cheap product from TEMU.”
Despite his criticism of the party, Lawal praised Suleiman, describing him as a capable and seasoned individual who, in his opinion, would have been a suitable candidate for the ADC.
He alleged that Suleiman’s removal was connected to ethnic and religious considerations. Lawal further accused Atiku of putting pressure on the party’s leadership to favour Moddibo.
At the time of filing the report, neither Atiku nor the ADC had publicly reacted to the allegations made by Lawal.
Former SGF Plans Legal Challenge
Lawal also threatened to take the alleged substitution before the courts, arguing that the decision contravened relevant electoral and party regulations.
He claimed that the action violated provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, the ADC Constitution and the party’s guidelines for conducting primary elections.
According to Lawal, the courts would be given the opportunity to determine whether the ADC complied with the law in replacing the winner of its governorship primary.
He expressed confidence that the legal action would expose what he described as irregularities in the candidate selection process.
Lawal further predicted that the people of Adamawa State would reject any attempt by political parties to impose candidates on them.
He maintained that voters would have several alternatives during the election and could decide which candidate best represented their interests.
The former SGF also predicted an electoral defeat for both the ADC and APC in the state, insisting that the electorate would have the final say.
He urged political parties to respect internal democratic procedures and allow voters to freely determine who should emerge as the next governor of Adamawa State.
