The internal crisis rocking the African Democratic Congress (ADC) deepened on Monday as Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced his resignation from the party, citing a “gross lack of transparency” during the presidential primaries.
Lawal’s exit comes amid heavy criticism of the party’s leadership, whom he accused of “massively rigging” the electoral process to favor former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Lawal, a key figure who had recently aligned with the ADC alongside other political heavyweights, stated that the party had abandoned its democratic principles to serve a predetermined interest.
Coinciding with Lawal’s resignation, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, weighed in on the controversy during his monthly media chat in Abuja. Wike asserted that the outcome of the ADC primaries was predictable, claiming the party’s structure was engineered specifically to facilitate Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as the flagbearer.
Wike specifically referenced the participation of the former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, in the race. He suggested that Amaechi’s loss was inevitable given the internal mechanics of the ADC.
“Amaechi is my brother. I served as Chief of Staff in his government. When I saw that he was running with them, I knew what would happen,” Wike said. “If he had called me, I would have said, ‘Don’t go there.’ It was very clear he would not get transparency or due process. The arrangement was designed from the start to favor Atiku.”
The Minister’s remarks follow a tense primary season that saw several prominent candidates, including Amaechi, Senator Elisha Abbo, and Senator Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru, sidelined in what critics have described as a “hostile takeover” of the party’s ticket.
Lawal, in his exit statement, echoed these sentiments, noting that his decision to leave was a matter of integrity. “We joined the ADC with the hope of building a credible alternative for Nigerians, but it has become clear that the platform has been compromised to serve an agenda that ignores the will of the members,” Lawal stated.
The ADC leadership has yet to issue a formal response to the allegations of rigging or the high-profile departures. However, the brewing scandal threatens to fracture the party’s coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, as more stakeholders express dissatisfaction with the influence of the Atiku camp within the party hierarchy.
