Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal,
• Atiku, Amaechi meet in Abuja as ADC VP race heats up amid Momodu’s lobby
• Gombe opposes party, Aregbesola’s call on judge to withdraw from suit
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, says he has evidence that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) primary election was rigged.
This was as fresh political calculations ahead of the 2027 presidential election gathered momentum with former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, holding a crucial meeting with former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the party and its interim national secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday asked Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja to withdraw from a suit on the party’s leadership dispute.
Featuring on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television yesterday, Lawal said he personally monitored the exercise, adding that whatever the supporters of Atiku said was untrue.
“Don’t forget I was the National Vice Chairman (North-East). I was in the field during the exercise, so I have evidence. Atiku’s people are the ones trying to deny what they did. We are all human beings. We know what they did.
“I knew the primary was rigged at the point it was being done, and the results declared,” he said.
The meeting between Atiku and Amaechi came amid growing consultations within the ADC over the selection of a vice-presidential candidate following the party’s presidential primary.
Atiku emerged as the ADC’s standard-bearer after defeating Amaechi and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen in a closely watched contest that positioned the party as a major player in the race for the 2027 presidency.
Sources within the party indicate that discussions have now shifted towards building a formidable ticket capable of attracting broad national support and strengthening the ADC’s electoral prospects.
Although Atiku is said to have left the final decision on the vice-presidential slot largely in the hands of the party leadership, political insiders reveal that Amaechi remains one of the strongest contenders being considered for the position.
The closed-door meeting has further fuelled speculation about a possible Atiku-Amaechi alliance, a combination many political observers believe could significantly reshape the opposition landscape ahead of the next general election.
Neither Atiku nor Amaechi disclosed details of their discussions at the time of filing this report, but the development has already sparked intense debate within political circles over the ADC’s 2027 strategy.
A new twist emerged in the mix as veteran journalist and former presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu, urged the ADC leadership to nominate him as Atiku’s running mate.
Momodu said a ticket comprising Atiku from the North and himself from the South would provide a strong platform to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), urging the party to depart from traditional politics.
He made the call in a statement posted on his social media platforms yesterday, accompanied by an infographic outlining how the ADC could win the presidential election if he were selected as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.
Momodu, 66, had unsuccessfully run for president on the National Conscience Party (NCP) ticket in 2011. In 2023, he again declared his interest in the presidential race on the PDP platform but later withdrew.
Although born in Ile-Ife, Osun State, his father, Jacob Momodu, hailed from Ihevbe in Edo State, while his mother was an indigene of Osun State.
Accusing the judge of bias, ADC and Aregbesola urged him to send the suit to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge.
The suit was filed by Nafiu Bala ‘Gombe’, who is laying claim to be the authentic chair of ADC.
In the suit, Gombe sued the ADC, the party’s interim national chairperson, David Mark; \Aregbesola; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the former chairman of ADC, Ralph Nwosu.
Gombe, an official of the party before a wave of defection, is challenging the process that produced Mark and Aregbesola as national chairman and national secretary of the party. He argues that their emergence was unlawful and contrary to the party’s constitution. He asked the court to nullify their appointments and restrain them from parading themselves as leaders of the party.
Opposing the applications for the judge to withdraw from the suit, Gombe asked the court to continue hearing the matter.
The case, initially before Judge Emeka Nwite of the same court, went to the Supreme Court, later returned to the Federal High Court and was reassigned to Lifu for adjudication.
After hearing the parties yesterday, the judge noted that more than 20 applications were before the court. The applications included preliminary objections and motions for recusal.
The judge also noted that the case had gone to the Supreme Court and returned before it was assigned to him.
Lifu observed that most of the defence’s applications centred on requests for him to withdraw from the matter. He therefore decided to hear all the motions for withdrawal.
While moving the motion for recusal, ADC’s lawyer, Shaibu Aruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), noted that his own application was filed on June 2.
The senior lawyer said the motion sought an order directing the judge to withdraw from the suit and return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, for reassignment. He urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.
Also moving his motion, Realwan Okpanachi, who appeared for Aregbesola, said his client’s motion for recusal was filed on June 2 and urged the court to grant it.
But Mark’s lawyer, Suleiman Usman, did not file a recusal application, and did not say anything about it.
Also, Adamu Bello, who appeared INEC, said the commission was not seeking the judge’s withdrawal and had no such motion before the court.
Nwosu, too, did not ask the judge to withdraw.
Meanwhile, Kalu-Kalu Agu, who appeared for Nkemakolam Ukandu, the National Welfare Secretary of ADC, seeking to join the suit as a party, noted that he had a motion for recusal and also sought an order staying further proceedings pending the hearing of his client’s petition against the judge and the Chief Judge of the court.
He also referred to a pending suit at the Federal High Court against the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Judge, and Judge Lifu.
After hearing the parties, Lifu held that Ukandu was not yet a party in the suit. The judge said his motion for joinder had not been heard. He pointed out that he “cannot hear a prospective joinder who is not a party in the suit”.
He adjourned the matter till June 16 for a composite ruling on the recusal motions filed by the ADC and Aregbesola and for further hearing.
