Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress, alleging that the party’s recent presidential primary was manipulated in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Lawal announced his resignation in a statement shared on his official Facebook page on Monday, saying he could no longer remain in the party after what he described as a flawed and compromised primary process.

“I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” he said.

He alleged that results were altered and winners replaced in several instances, claiming that the exercise lacked credibility.

“Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven. Even where they allowed some semblance of election to hold, the winners were simply replaced,” he added.

Lawal said his decision was also driven by his unwillingness to associate with what he described as a political structure capable of influencing future elections unfairly.

His resignation comes amid continued controversy surrounding the ADC presidential primary held on May 25, 2026, which produced Atiku Abubakar as the party’s flag bearer.

Atiku won the contest with 1,846,370 votes, while Rotimi Amaechi came second with 504,117 votes and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen placed third with 177,120 votes.

The primary has continued to attract criticism from some aspirants, including Hayatu-Deen and Amaechi, who raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the process.

However, Hayatu-Deen later stepped back from challenging the outcome after meetings aimed at party reconciliation, while Atiku has also engaged stakeholders in efforts to unite the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

Lawal said he would consult with political associates on his next move while continuing to oppose Atiku’s presidential ambition.