Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has fired back at six gubernatorial candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress who protested his appointment as the party’s North-East leader.
This came as he described their action as the height of arrogance, saying “six misguided individuals to arrogate themselves the right to decide who joins or leads the party.”
This was contained in a statement he released on Monday in which Lawal dismissed the protest as a “charade” being orchestrated by a “female pretender to the governorship candidacy of Adamawa State,” and warned that the real battle in 2027 is far bigger than any single candidate.
Lawal said he was compelled to speak because the candidates “mentioned me by name,” adding: “I need to make my position known since the nincompoops mentioned me by name.” He also said he had it “on good authority that the charade is being led and organized by a female pretender to the governorship candidacy of Adamawa State.”
The statement came as a direct response to a joint press release by NDC governorship candidates from the North-East who rejected his appointment, insisting it was made without consulting them or other stakeholders who built the party’s structures in the region.
Lawal did not hold back on the sabotage angle. He alleged that rival parties had planted “moles” inside the NDC at the highest levels to destroy the Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket.
“The Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket has a very massive unassailable lead in the North East and North Central zones of Nigeria and it is to be expected that rival parties would plant moles into NDC at levels as high as the gubernatorial candidates level to sabotage this certain victory,” he said. “I suspect this is what is now playing out in this desperation of some of these wolves in sheep skin in the NDC in the North East.”
He added: “I know that my joining the NDC at this stage poses a major threat to those working for Atiku from within the NDC as subversives of the Peter/Kwankwaso ticket. Thanks to God they have now of their own free will exposed themselves and the voters in the North East have taken note.”
The sharpest passages were reserved for the Adamawa female candidate, whom he mocked in unusually personal terms.
“Were this woman to be a normal politician that is capable of being in her right frame of mind for only five minutes per day, I would have thought she might be even in those brief minutes celebrate my entry into the NDC because there is no doubt I have the reach and potential to increase her chances of victory at the polls by over 60%,” Lawal said. “Alas, we are not all the same and as the saying goes ‘common sense is not always common.'”
He said he had “always had my doubt that Sen Aisha is a serious contender for the governorship of Adamawa State,” alleging she was “only playing a script to deny the ethnic nationalities of Adamawa State a platform on which to contest for the governorship ticket.”
He further alleged that “almost all the contestants in the 2027 election (25 House of Assembly, 8 House of Rep, 3 Senators and herself as governorship candidate) were nominated by her and all their forms and expressions of interest similarly paid for by her. So what is she afraid of?” he asked.
Lawal said he visited Adamawa between August 25 and September 10 this year and “saw no evidence of NDC activity in any of the 21 LGAs aside one tattered poster in Gombi belonging to a lady House of Rep candidate.”
He claimed that Prof. Mohammed Sani Yahaya of Taraba State and Dr. Babayo Ardo of Gombe State had reached out to him to dissociate themselves from the statement.
He said both men “implied that their names and signatures on the document were inserted without their authority and knowledge.” The claim could not be independently verified as of press time.
Lawal insisted he never sought the position, saying “no formal offer was made to me nor did I request to be so appointed before the announcement was made.”
He said he accepted it “in good faith as a mark of respect to Senator Dickson, Mr Obi and Kwankwaso all of whom I highly respect and so could say no to them.”
He described it as a “holding position” based on prior discussions with party leadership and other patriots who insisted he rejoin the top leadership team of the Peter Obi campaign, where he served as 2023 Chairman of the Planning, Strategy and Implementation team comprising twelve eminent Nigerians.
He also reminded the candidates that the 2027 contest would not be about them alone. “There are House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate seats in six states to contest for and all of them will reap immense benefits from the popularity of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in the elections,” he said. “But those who choose to shoot themselves on the foot will only be the ones needing working crutches or sticks.”
Discussion about this post