2027: Replace Atiku As Presidential Candidate, Babachir Lawal Urges ADC

By Rotela Oguns

Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), has reaffirmed  his position that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, lacks the political clout to give President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a run for his money in the 2027 general elections.

Lawal said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will be well-advised to replace Atiku with a more formidable candidate as its presidential candidate.

The former scribe to the Federal Government shared his thoughts on the forthcoming election in a lengthy post on his verified Facebook page on Saturday.

The post is a reaction to the criticisms attracted by his resignation from the coalition movement and opposition ADC about fortnight ago.

Following his exit from the ADC, Lawal had alleged that the party’s primaries were manipulated in favour of Atiku and his associates.

The former SGF claimed the exercise was rigged at multiple levels to benefit the ex-vice-president.

He also described Atiku as a kachalla, a derogatory Hausa term meaning, ‘bandits’ leader’.

The former SGF said Nigerians have a responsibility to interrogate the character and competence of those seeking the presidency.

“No, it is my right to interrogate the character and competence of someone who seeks to be my President. He is free to step down his ambition if he does not want to be so queried,” he said.

Reiterating his stance that Atiku lacks the capacity to defeat the incumbent president, Lawal said, “Indeed I would urge ADC to replace this man with a more qualified candidate if they want to have any hope of winning the presidential election before INEC timetable runs out on them,”

Lawal also revisited the controversy that led to his removal as SGF during the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

He alleged that the episode was politically motivated.

The former SGF maintained that he was eventually cleared by the courts after investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

“During the trial, EFCC called 14 witnesses. Interestingly all of them testified to my innocence as if they were my own witnesses. Not one of them implicated me either in the contract award process or its execution,” he said.