The camp of African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed allegations of manipulation in the party’s presidential primary made by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, insisting that no credible evidence was presented to support the claims.

In a statement issued on behalf of the former Vice President by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the Atiku camp described Lawal’s accusations as unsubstantiated and politically motivated.

“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.

Lawal had resigned from the ADC on Monday, criticising the outcome of the party’s presidential primary and alleging that the process was influenced. But Atiku’s camp maintained that the exercise was transparent and reflected the will of party members across the country.

Shaibu said the former SGF failed to substantiate his claims. “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 statement further questioned Lawal’s consistency, pointing to his acceptance of outcomes in related contests within the party structure. It alleged that he had raised objections only when the outcome did not favour his preferred candidate.

“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,” Shaibu said.

“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.”

The Atiku camp also referenced Lawal’s past controversies, including his removal as SGF in 2017 over allegations linked to contract awards in the Presidential Initiative on the North-East, popularly referred to as the “grass-cutting scandal.” Lawal has denied wrongdoing.

According to Shaibu, Lawal’s latest criticisms stem from dissatisfaction with the outcome rather than genuine concerns about internal democracy.

“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 also condemned what it described as attempts to introduce ethnic or religious sentiments into internal party disputes, warning that such rhetoric was divisive and unhelpful.

Atiku’s camp insisted that the former Vice President remains focused on national issues ahead of the 2027 elections, adding that the ADC presidential contest would ultimately be decided by Nigerians based on governance, economic recovery, and security concerns. (Vanguard)

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