‘No Evidence’: Atiku Camp Fires Back at Babachir Lawal Over ADC Rigging Claims

Abuja, Nigeria – The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a fierce counter-attack against former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, dismissing his allegations that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary was rigged as “unsubstantiated” and accusing him of political inconsistency. The response came after Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga gleefully declared that Lawal had inflicted more damage on Atiku than any criticism from the presidency could have achieved.

Lawal, in a Facebook post on Monday, June 1, 2026, announced his exit from the ADC over the outcome of the party’s presidential primary won by Atiku. His resignation came barely a week after the ADC primary held on May 25, 2026, which produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections. In his explosive resignation statement, Lawal claimed that ADC’s presidential primary was manipulated in favour of Atiku, describing the exercise as a “disgraceful charade” where results were “written or rewritten” to favour the former vice president and his inner circle.

Reacting to Lawal’s scathing attack, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock Atiku. “We have not fired any bullet against veteran presidential runner and northern hegemonic Abubakar Atiku yet. But a close ally just destroyed Atiku in many unflattering words. It’s a warning that the man should retire to Dubai quickly,” Onanuga wrote. The Presidency’s reaction underscores the political advantage the ruling party sees in the widening cracks within the opposition as Atiku attempts to build a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

In a swift and detailed response issued on behalf of Atiku Abubakar by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the camp of the former vice president rejected claims that the ADC presidential primary was manipulated, insisting that the exercise reflected the will of party members across the country. “Having chosen to malign a democratic process, insult thousands of ADC members nationwide, and make grave allegations without presenting a shred of evidence, it has become necessary to set the record straight,” the statement said. Shaibu argued that Lawal had failed to provide any proof to support his allegations of electoral manipulation. “The truth is straightforward. The ADC presidential primaries were conducted across thousands of wards and produced a clear and decisive outcome. What Mr Lawal has offered Nigerians is not evidence. He has produced no documents, no verifiable facts, no credible witnesses, and no proof whatsoever to support his sensational allegations.” The Atiku camp maintained that the primary results, which saw Atiku poll 1,846,370 votes against Rotimi Amaechi’s 504,117 votes and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen’s 177,120 votes, reflected the genuine choice of ADC members nationwide.

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The Atiku camp also accused the former SGF of political inconsistency, pointing to what it described as his acceptance of outcomes from the same primary process in other contests. “Mr Lawal has also failed to explain how the very same primary process he now dismisses as fraudulent somehow produced a result he appears perfectly willing to accept in Adamawa State, where his cousin, Omar Suleiman, emerged as the ADC governorship candidate. Nigerians are entitled to ask whether the process was only credible when it favoured his family and only rigged when it produced a presidential candidate he did not support.” This accusation of double standards struck at the heart of Lawal’s credibility as a critic of electoral malpractice. The Atiku camp argued that Lawal’s sudden concern for electoral integrity appeared selective, conveniently emerging only when the outcome did not favour his preferences while remaining silent when the same process benefited his family member.

The statement further took aim at Lawal’s public image as a critic of corruption and electoral malpractice, reviving controversies that trailed his tenure as Secretary to the Government of the Federation during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Lawal was removed from office in 2017 following allegations linked to contracts awarded through the Presidential Initiative on the North-East, a controversy that became widely known as the “grass-cutting scandal.” The Senate had called for his suspension and prosecution after an ad-hoc committee led by Shehu Sani indicted Lawal for receiving contracts to clear “invasive plant species” in Yobe State through a company, Rholavision Nigeria Limited, in which he had an interest. While President Buhari initially defended Lawal, he was eventually suspended in April 2017 pending investigation. Lawal has consistently denied any wrongdoing. “It is perhaps the greatest irony of this entire episode that Mr. Babachir Lawal now seeks to reinvent himself as Nigeria’s newest apostle of integrity, transparency, and democratic virtue,” the statement added, questioning his moral authority to lecture others on electoral integrity.

Atiku’s camp further argued that Lawal’s criticisms were driven more by dissatisfaction with the outcome of the primary than by genuine concerns about electoral integrity. “What appears to have truly unsettled Mr Lawal is not the conduct of the primaries but the outcome. Democracy guarantees participation, not victory. One cannot celebrate democracy when it produces a preferred result and suddenly condemn it as rigged when it does not.” The statement emphasized that political participation carries no guarantee of victory, and that Lawal’s resignation appeared to stem from personal disappointment rather than principled objection to the process. The statement also faulted what it described as Lawal’s resort to ethnic and religious sentiments in his criticisms of the primary. “Having failed to persuade ADC members to embrace his preferred candidate, he now seeks refuge in the divisive politics of identity,” Shaibu said, arguing that such rhetoric does little to address the country’s pressing challenges. “It creates no jobs, lowers no food prices, secures no communities, and offers no pathway out of the national crisis.”

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Defending Atiku’s political credentials, Shaibu maintained that the 2027 election would be decided by Nigerians based on issues of governance, economic recovery, and national security rather than internal party disputes. “The Nigerian people know Atiku Abubakar. They know his record in public service. They know his achievements in business. They know his commitment to national unity and economic reform,” he stressed. The statement concluded by urging Lawal to provide evidence for his allegations or withdraw them and apologize to the ADC leadership and members he had insulted.

The ADC presidential primary, held on May 25, 2026, at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, saw Atiku poll 1,846,370 votes to defeat former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, who secured 504,117 votes, and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who received 177,120 votes. The Chairman of the Presidential Primary Election Committee, Chief Ikechi Emenike, said 2,527,977 registered party members participated in the exercise, while the Chief Returning Officer, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, declared Atiku as the winner. However, the primary had drawn criticism from some aspirants. Before the announcement of the results, Hayatu-Deen had publicly distanced himself from the process, citing concerns about alleged vote manipulation and the integrity of the exercise. Amaechi also raised concerns about irregularities in the process. Despite these initial protests, Atiku has since moved to consolidate the party. He visited both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen in separate meetings following the primary. During his meeting with Hayatu-Deen at the latter’s Lagos residence on Sunday, Atiku announced that both leaders had agreed to put the tensions arising from the primary election behind them and work together to position the ADC as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Hayatu-Deen later ruled out challenging the outcome of the primary, citing party unity.

In his acceptance speech after the primary, Atiku described the exercise as transparent and credible. According to him, party members were allowed to freely express opinions and contest elective positions through a transparent democratic process. He said the primary was not about winners and losers but a collective effort to rescue Nigeria from misrule. “There are no winners and losers. Our people look up to us for leadership, and we are ready to lead,” he said. He also appealed to aggrieved members and fellow contestants, including Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen, to unite ahead of the 2027 general election. “I therefore appeal to all those who feel aggrieved to come back to our party and close ranks with the rest of us. In particular, I invite Chief Rotimi Amaechi and Alhaji Muhammad Hayatu-Deen to join me in this fight to save our democracy and our country,” Atiku stated.

Lawal, in his lengthy Facebook post, had claimed that the ADC primary was “massively rigged” at all levels in favour of Atiku. “I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku. I sense a conspiracy of silence of which I want no part of,” Lawal wrote. “Most members of the party are behaving as if this is the normal thing to do. Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of an election to hold, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate. In the real sense, it was a disgraceful charade.” Lawal further described Atiku as an “irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonist” and argued that President Bola Tinubu would perform better than Atiku if faced with a choice between the two. “For me, working for Kachalla Atiku means giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term, which gives me nightmares. I believe Tinubu might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be (as bad as Tinubu currently is and possibly could ever be).” He also vowed to work with like-minded associates to stop Atiku’s presidential ambition, declaring that he would retire to his village farm to watch Atiku “mercilessly out-rigged and beaten to pulp by Tinubu’s ruthless and superior rigging machine.”

Key takeaways from this political showdown include the following: Babachir Lawal resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on June 1, 2026, alleging the party’s presidential primary was “massively rigged” in favour of Atiku Abubakar; the Presidency, through spokesman Bayo Onanuga, reacted gleefully, stating that Lawal had “destroyed Atiku” more than any government criticism could have; Atiku’s camp, through spokesman Phrank Shaibu, dismissed Lawal’s allegations as baseless and accused him of political inconsistency and failing to provide evidence; the Atiku camp revived the “grass-cutting scandal” that led to Lawal’s removal as SGF in 2017, questioning his moral authority; Lawal was accused of double standards, as his cousin won the ADC governorship primary in Adamawa State without complaint from him; Atiku won the ADC primary with 1,846,370 votes, defeating Amaechi (504,117) and Hayatu-Deen (177,120); and Atiku has since held reconciliation meetings with both Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen to unite the party ahead of 2027.

‘No Evidence’: Atiku Camp Fires Back at Babachir Lawal Over ADC Rigging Claims

Jonathan 2027: They failed him in 2023, now want him to revive dead PDP — Sani

ABUJA – Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has criticised moves by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race, describing the effort as belated and politically motivated.

Sani made the remark in a post on his X platform on Monday while reacting to the adoption of Jonathan as the presidential candidate of a PDP faction ahead of the 2027 general election. According to the former lawmaker, those now promoting Jonathan’s candidacy failed to support him when the party was in a stronger position and more capable of mounting a serious electoral challenge. “If they actually wanted GEJ, they should have fielded him in 2023 when the party was relatively alive and in good shape,” Sani wrote. He argued that the current move appears less about giving Jonathan a realistic opportunity to lead the country again and more about using his political stature to revive a struggling political platform. “They just now want him to help them carry the coffin,” he added. Sani’s comments come amid growing reactions to the emergence of Jonathan as the presidential candidate of a PDP faction led by Kabiru Turaki following a special convention held in Abuja on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

The Turaki-led faction of the PDP went ahead with its planned special convention on Saturday, where former President Goodluck Jonathan was symbolically ratified as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. The event, which initially faced disruption, was relocated from the A-Class Park and Event Centre in Wuse 2 to a venue in Area 10, Garki, Abuja, following heightened security presence and reported roadblocks by police operatives. Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, received the Certificate of Return on behalf of Jonathan during the factional gathering, as the former president was not present at the convention. According to earlier reports, the faction had announced plans to hold the special convention after former President Jonathan was reportedly cleared as the party’s sole presidential aspirant following his failure to appear before the faction’s presidential screening committee for two consecutive days. A member of the Presidential Screening Committee, Babangida Aliyu, disclosed that Jonathan had been cleared as the party’s sole presidential aspirant, stating that the party’s leadership had granted Jonathan the necessary waiver to participate in the primary process. “As you know, the party had already given a presidential aspirant the waiver. Like I said in the beginning, he was a deputy governor, became governor, became vice-president and became president. So, we didn’t see anything that needed screening. Therefore, the party had given him a waiver,” Babangida Aliyu said.

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Despite the ratification by the Turaki faction, former President Goodluck Jonathan has yet to publicly confirm whether he intends to return to active presidential politics or contest the 2027 election. In early May 2026, when youth groups visited him urging him to contest, Jonathan responded that the presidency was “not a computer game” and that he would consult widely before making any decision. “You are asking me to come and contest the next election. Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you and I’ll consult widely,” Jonathan said at the time. As of the time of filing this report, Jonathan has not publicly responded to the nomination announced by the Turaki-led PDP faction.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN) , has also weighed in on the issue, urging former President Jonathan to publicly reject the presidential nomination extended to him by the PDP faction. Keyamo argued that the faction behind the nomination is not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , questioning the legality and political weight of its actions. He described the move as “bizarre comedy taken too far” and criticised what he called the absurdity of offering “a whole Presidential ticket to an ex-president and statesman by proxy and by a bunch of people not even registered on INEC’s website.” “For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must IMMEDIATELY issue a strong ‘no, thank you’ statement,” Keyamo said.

The development has further exposed the deep divisions within the opposition PDP, which remains embroiled in an internal leadership crisis that has resulted in the emergence of rival factions. While the Turaki-led faction, backed by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed (who has since left the PDP for the Allied Peoples Movement, APM), lays claim to the party leadership on one side, the group aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike controls the other faction. The Wike-backed PDP faction has called on Jonathan to dissociate himself from the Turaki group’s endorsement, describing the planned convention and ratification as “misleading, unfounded, and intended to create confusion within the polity.” In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, the faction stated that no such convention, meeting, or process had been scheduled, approved, or endorsed by the leadership or any recognised organ of the PDP. “We respectfully call on former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from this charade in order to protect the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility he earned while serving the nation,” the statement read. INEC has recognised the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abdulrahman Mohammed as the legitimate leadership of the party, meaning the Turaki faction that nominated Jonathan may not be recognised by the electoral umpire for the 2027 elections.

Following the development, there were speculations that Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, could become Jonathan’s running mate under the factional arrangement. However, Mohammed has dismissed such reports. In a response on X, Mohammed said his focus remained on contesting the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat in 2027 under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) . “Thank you for your interest in my political aspirations. However, for the sake of clarity, my focus remains firmly on contesting for the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM),” he wrote. “Any reports suggesting a different political course should be disregarded as speculative and inaccurate,” the governor added. Mohammed recently left the PDP for the APM following the crisis rocking the opposition party.

Despite the political uncertainty, a Federal High Court in Abuja recently dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, describing the action as an abuse of court process. This ruling effectively clears any legal barriers that could have prevented Jonathan from running, should he decide to accept the nomination.

Jonathan 2027: They failed him in 2023, now want him to revive dead PDP — Sani

APC Picks Female Deputy Governor for Hamzat Ahead 2027 Poll

LAGOS – The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has taken a definitive step toward the 2027 gubernatorial election by officially announcing its deputy governorship candidate, setting the stage for what promises to be a high-stakes political contest in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

The party has chosen to occupy the joint ticket Princess Damilola Sonayon-James, a strategic decision made as part of early maneuvers to retain its dominant political grip on the state. She will contest alongside the party’s flagbearer and current Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, who secured the governorship ticket in a landslide primary election victory.

Princess Damilola Sonayon-James is a politician, sustainability specialist, and business leader, widely recognised for her grassroots mobilisation and advocacy for women’s empowerment. She currently serves as the Deputy State Chairman of the APC in Lagos State, having risen through the party ranks after previously serving as the State Assistant Woman Leader. Her political career also includes experience as a Supervisory Councillor for Agriculture and Social Services in Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA). She hails from the royal family of the ancient Kweme Kingdom in Badagry, Lagos State, adding geographical balance to the ticket and strengthening the party’s appeal in Lagos West Senatorial District. Beyond politics, Sonayon-James has established a career spanning human resources, logistics and sustainability management. She is the Chief Executive Officer of DGS Chauffeurs and Logistics and also serves as founder of the BSJ Foundation, a non-governmental organisation focused on women empowerment, youth development and community sanitation.

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Princess Damilola Sonayon-James1

Academically, Sonayon-James holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) and a degree in Business and Human Resources Management from the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. She is also a certified Sustainability Risk and Strategy Consultant with experience spanning both the public and private sectors.

Dr. Obafemi Hamzat secured the APC governorship ticket with a landslide victory, polling 657,917 votes out of 657,974 votes cast, while his sole challenger, Olanrewaju Jim-Kamal, received only one vote. The primary election was conducted across the state’s 245 wards in the 20 local government areas and was described by the APC national governorship primary election committee chairman, retired General Jonathan Temlong, as peaceful and transparent. This victory makes Hamzat the first Deputy Governor in Lagos State’s history to secure a governorship ticket while still serving as deputy. The primary saw the withdrawal of other aspirants, including Babajide Adeniran (popularly known as Jandor) and Samuel Mawuyon Ajose (SMA Gold), who stepped down in support of Hamzat ahead of the exercise.

The political pairing comes on the heels of major structural endorsements for the Hamzat ticket, which has already received crucial backing from the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) —the apex leadership body of the APC in Lagos State—outgoing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and regional party leadership. Significantly, Governor Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement of his deputy marks the first time since Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999 that a sitting Lagos governor has openly backed his deputy to succeed him. This endorsement followed extensive consultations involving President Bola Tinubu, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and other key stakeholders. According to party sources, Sonayon-James’ nomination was reportedly backed by President Bola Tinubu and the Governance Advisory Committee (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the APC in Lagos State. Reports indicate that Sonayon-James recently met with Tinubu at his Lagos residence prior to her nomination.

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The selection of Sonayon-James reportedly puts to rest speculation surrounding the choice of Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the current Secretary to the State Government (SSG), who was earlier linked to the position and also represents the Badagry division. Party sources confirmed that the decision followed extensive consultations among key stakeholders and was aimed at strengthening the APC’s campaign structure and grassroots appeal across the state. The governorship ambition of Hamzat has reportedly received further boost from various stakeholders, including the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), transport unions, and religious organisations, who have expressed support for his candidacy.

In his acceptance speech following the primary, Hamzat unveiled a development agenda tagged “My Lagos Dream,” centred on job creation, improved infrastructure, education, healthcare, and security for residents of the state. “First, service delivery: freeing up more money for services and maintaining the biggest infrastructure investment programme in West Africa. Second, job creation: policies to fast-track jobs for our youths and support for entrepreneurs and industrialisation,” Hamzat said.

Party leadership is expected to officially unveil the Hamzat–Sonayon-James ticket in a formal ceremony in the coming days, an event scheduled to flag off a more aggressive phase of grassroots mobilization and political sensitization across Lagos. The party is also expected to soon unveil its manifesto and programmes aimed at sustaining development in the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The emergence of a female deputy governorship candidate is widely seen as a strategic move to consolidate support among women voters, who constitute a significant portion of the electorate in Lagos State. As political activities gather momentum, all eyes will be on how other political parties respond with their own ticket announcements in the coming weeks.

APC Picks Female Deputy Governor for Hamzat Ahead 2027 Poll