Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar once tasked him with persuading Peter Obi to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and serve as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
Lawal made the disclosure during an interview with *Diaspora Digital Media*, where he recounted the behind-the-scenes negotiations between the two political camps before their eventual split.
According to Lawal, Atiku personally reached out to him to facilitate the alliance. “Atiku called me and told me that he wanted to work with me. He gave me a mission to convince Peter Obi to join the ADC and serve as his vice president,” Lawal stated.
The former SGF further alleged that the proposal included a specific political arrangement: the pair would serve for four years, after which they would seek a constitutional amendment to transition Nigeria to a single six-year presidential term, a provision Lawal claimed Obi would eventually benefit from.
“He explained that during their four-year term, they would amend the Constitution to a single six-year term, which Obi would benefit from. I went to Obi with this proposal, but Peter Obi said he was not interested,” Lawal added.
However, Peter Obi has previously disputed this account, maintaining that he could not have rejected an offer that was never officially made to him.
This revelation emerges amidst a period of intense political maneuvering and realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Lawal, a former ADC chieftain, resigned from the party in June 2026, citing alleged irregularities in the presidential primary that led to Atiku’s emergence as the candidate—a claim the Atiku camp has consistently denied. Following his departure from the ADC, Lawal joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in September 2026, where he has since publicly declared his support for the Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket.
