The Presidency has responded to a sharp criticism leveled against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by his former close ally, Babachir Lawal, describing the incident as a warning to the 2027 presidential hopeful to retire from politics.
In a post on social media, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the Presidency had not yet directly confronted Atiku but that the damage inflicted by his former associate spoke volumes.
“We have not fired any bullet against veteran presidential runner and northern hegemonic Abubakar Atiku yet. But a close ally just destroyed Atiku in many unflattering words,” Onanuga wrote. “It’s a warning that the man should retire to Dubai quickly.”
The comments come hours after former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), unleashing a series of accusations against the party’s newly emerged candidate.
Babachir’s Resignation and Criticism of Atiku
In a statement titled “The Kachalla Series Part 1” issued on Monday, June 1, 2026, Babachir Lawal announced he was leaving the ADC, alleging that the party’s just-concluded primaries were “massively rigged” to favour Atiku Abubakar and his allies.
Lawal criticized the exercise, describing it as a “disgraceful charade” where results were “just written or rewritten” to benefit the former Vice President and his associates.
“I am exiting the ADC because its just concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour of Kachalla Abubakar Atiku,” Lawal declared. He added that he refused to be part of what he called “Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former SGF further accused the ADC flagbearer of being an “incompetent octogenarian” and an “irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonist.”
Lawal argued that working for Atiku would inadvertently hand President Bola Tinubu an easy victory for a second term, a scenario he said gives him “nightmares.” He insisted that despite his reservations about the current administration, Tinubu would “comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be.”
Announcing his departure from active politicking, Lawal said he would “retire to my village farm” while watching from the sidelines as Atiku faces defeat.
Presidency’s Taunt
Seizing on the resignation, Onanuga framed Babachir’s exit as a significant blow to Atiku’s 2027 ambition. The presidential aide suggested that the defection of a key northern ally signals a lack of confidence in the veteran politician’s bid.
By suggesting Atiku retire to Dubai, Onanuga reinforced the administration’s stance that the southern region, under President Tinubu, should be allowed to complete its tenure, dismissing Atiku’s ambition as a destabilising force.
As of press time, Atiku Abubakar and the leadership of the ADC had not issued an official response to the resignation or the Presidency’s remarks.
Discussion about this post