A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has continued his war of words with ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, urging the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to replace the latter as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
Lawal who has been at loggerheads with Atiku since the former Vice President emerged as the presidential candidate of the ADC aired his views on Saturday via a post he shared on his official Facebook page.
The former SGF, having recently resigned from the ADC after alleging that the opposition political party had manipulated its primaries in favour of Atiku and his associates, was reacting to criticism following his remarks about the former VP.
In his latest post, Lawal maintained that the ADC primary exercise was rigged at multiple levels to benefit the ex-vice-president. He has also argued that Atiku lacks the capacity to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
He lamented that most of his critics had focused on attacking him rather than addressing the issues he raised.
“Since my Kachalla 1 post, almost the whole of Nigeria’s Fulani race has descended on me with all manner of insults and threats. ALL these insults are predicated on only two planks as follows but every single one of them avoided my arguments,” Lawal wrote.
He said all the presidential candidates for the 2027 election must face scrutiny, explaining that 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.
Lawal reiterated his opposition to Atiku’s presidential ambition and urged the ADC to consider presenting another candidate who would be able to contest well against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Indeed I would urge the 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,” he said.
Lawal said his comments about Atiku were being misrepresented as an attack on an ethnic group, adding that political debate should be centred on leadership, competence, and public record.
According to him, the criticism of political leaders should not be viewed through an ethnic lens.
“The second point is the vile propaganda, insults and threats that the Atiku Abubakar goons and social media bandits have been churning out on me because as they claim, I have insulted the whole Fulani race in pointing out his fallibility. Well, if pointing out the danger an Atiku presidency will pose to the country amounts to insulting the whole Fulani race, and if that is how the Fulani race chooses to see it, so be it; it is a free world,” he said.
“But in choosing to view it this way, they only validate my worry that his presidency will be synonymous to a Fulani presidency even as Bola Tinubu’s presidency is synonymous to a Yoruba presidency (and the Yorubas are proud of him no doubt). Those Fulani attacking me might wish to be reminded too that the Fulani race also includes the elite group of Kabiru Sokoto, Kachalla Bello Turji, Kachalla Ado Alero, Kachalla Dogo Gide, Kachalla Gwaska, Kachalla Shehu Rekep etc. These people by their murderous actions make their race very proud indeed; or don’t they? And an Atiku presidency would make these elite group of Fulani very proud indeed; or won’t it? And it might embolden them; or won’t it?
“This Kachalla’s social media propagandists, devoid of common sense and reasoning, and seeing as their presidential hope is fast slipping away have come after me with a venom and brutality that is the envy of Kachalla Bello Turji or Kachalla Abubakar Shekau. I can see that while their kith and kin have taken over the forests, driven people from their farmlands, killed and maimed innocent farmers, raped women while their husbands and parents are watching, destroyed whole villages, kidnapped and/or slaughtered travelers and made kidnapping into a thriving industry, their idle city counterparts have trained themselves into social media bandits just like their brothers, cousins and nephews are in the forests. Both appear to be united in wanting to wage an Othman Danfodio Jihad Phase II and now need a Kachalla to lead and coordinate their efforts. They have taken over the forests; all they need now is a takeover of the government so our capture will be complete. Some of us see it coming hence, our resistance.
“So I ask you once again, why has Atiku Abubakar never publicly sympathized or empathized with the victims of these mostly Fulani bandits? Why has he never lent a voice to those condemning Kachalla Bello Turji and his colleagues after burning, kidnapping and killing thousands of Hausa victims, sometimes happening in Mosques and markets? Why has he not done so when same thing happen in Tiv or Idoma lands? Why is he silent when it happens in Birom, Mupum, Irigwe and Ngas lands in Plateau State? What did he say or do after the kidnapping and brutal murder of the First Class Hausa Emir of Gobir a Moslem like himself? What did he say or do when Christians were massacred in in a Church in Suleja or in Owo? Why did he recant his condemnation of the brutal and barbaric murder of Debora Samuel? Could it be because all the victims are not of his tribe/race? Could it be this is the trend we should expect if per remote chance he becomes President?
“And some of his lemmings go about shouting how he is such a good business person and a lover of education. Then how come that some of his businesses such as Gotel Communications, Adama Beverages, Rico Gado Nutrition Company, even the Fast Food Restaurant, his Marine Logistic Company, etc are either in distress, leased out or he has divested from them? Even the University he is so proud of is only sustained by a “once-upon-a-time” glory given its now rotting infrastructure and dwindling faculty.
“Now someone tell me, are we wrong to enquire into the character and competence of someone who wants to be a Commander-in-Chief of our military and the Sole Manager of our common patrimony? Should we feign nonchalance to someone who once said he will “enrich his friends”?
“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. Indeed I would urge the ADC to replace this man with a more qualified candidate if they want to have any hope of winning the presidential election before INEC time table runs out on them.
“I mean well for my country. But as I had written in a WhatsApp message to Atiku Abubakar himself on 19th December, 2025 I will not lie low and allow his goons to lynch me be it physically or on the social media.”
