A fresh crisis has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the party’s presidential primary for the 2027 general election, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, exchanging accusations over the conduct of the exercise.
Atiku emerged as the ADC’s presidential candidate after polling 1,846,370 votes, defeating former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who secured 504,117 votes, and businessman-politician Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who garnered 177,120 votes.
The controversy intensified on Monday after Lawal announced his resignation from the ADC, alleging widespread manipulation of the party’s primary elections at various levels. In a statement shared on social media, the former SGF accused party officials of altering and writing election results in favour of Atiku and his loyalists.
According to Lawal, the primary process was compromised by irregularities, including the alleged replacement of duly elected candidates with individuals perceived to be aligned with the former vice president. He described the exercise as a “disgraceful charade” and said his decision to speak out was motivated by what he termed a “conspiracy of silence” among party members.
Lawal further stated that he could not be part of any process that, in his view, amounted to laying the foundation for the manipulation of the 2027 general election. He argued that supporting Atiku’s emergence under such circumstances would ultimately strengthen President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term in office.
However, Atiku’s camp swiftly rejected the allegations.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president’s team insisted that the primary election reflected the genuine wishes of ADC members nationwide and challenged Lawal to provide evidence to substantiate his claims.
Shaibu argued that the primaries were conducted across thousands of wards and produced a clear outcome. He maintained that Lawal had failed to present documentary evidence, credible witnesses or verifiable facts to support allegations of manipulation.
The statement also questioned Lawal’s consistency, pointing to the emergence of his cousin, Omar Suleiman, as the ADC governorship candidate in Adamawa State through the same electoral process. According to Shaibu, it was contradictory to condemn the process as flawed while accepting outcomes that favoured members of his family.
Atiku’s spokesman further suggested that Lawal’s criticism was driven more by dissatisfaction with the outcome of the contest than by genuine concerns about electoral integrity.
He maintained that democracy guarantees participation but does not guarantee victory and accused the former SGF of resorting to divisive rhetoric after failing to secure support for his preferred candidate.
Shaibu also defended Atiku’s record in public service and business, insisting that no post-primary controversy would alter the outcome of the presidential contest.
Meanwhile, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has ruled out challenging the outcome of the primary election in court despite previously raising concerns over alleged irregularities during the exercise.
In a statement titled “My Campaign, the Silent Majority and the Future of Our Democracy,” released on Monday, Hayatu-Deen disclosed that he had chosen party unity and the broader objective of building a credible opposition over personal political ambition.
His decision followed reports that he boycotted the official announcement of the primary results after expressing concerns about alleged vote manipulation and procedural shortcomings. It also came shortly after Atiku reportedly visited him at his Lagos residence.
Prior to the collation of results, Hayatu-Deen had publicly questioned allegations of vote rigging within the party and warned against criticising electoral malpractice at the national level while allegedly tolerating similar practices internally.
Despite his reservations, he said consultations with supporters and stakeholders convinced him that pursuing litigation would not serve the broader objective of strengthening the opposition.
Hayatu-Deen maintained that Nigeria urgently requires a united and credible opposition capable of offering voters a viable alternative, adding that this objective was more important than individual political ambition or temporary disappointment.
While reiterating that the conduct of the primary election fell short of his expectations, he disclosed that his concerns had been privately communicated to the party leadership.
The businessman and former presidential aspirant thanked his supporters, volunteers, donors and party members across the country, urging them not to lose faith in democracy.
According to him, although his presidential campaign has ended, the larger struggle for a stronger, fairer and more prosperous Nigeria remains ongoing.
The developments have further exposed growing divisions within the ADC and the broader opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election, raising fresh questions about party unity and internal democracy as preparations for the next electoral cycle gather momentum.