Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has criticised the candidacy of the Presidential standard bearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, dismissig it as a cheap product.
Lawal also faulted the party’s handling of its Adamawa State governorship primary.
He made the remarks in a Facebook post titled: “Kachalla Series Three,” in which he alleged that the ADC replaced Umar Suleiman, whom he said won the party’s Adamawa governorship primary, with Tukur Moddibo.
He attributed the alleged substitution to ethnic considerations and claimed that Atiku influenced the decision.
In the post, Lawal compared Atiku and the ADC candidate-selection process to products purchased from TEMU, an online marketplace.
He wrote: “As the story goes on the streets in the state, APC donated its gubernatorial candidate to the state having purchased him from TEMU, the cheap online market place, and it appears that the ADC too has just done likewise, aside giving to the nation a presidential candidate that looks more like he too was a cheap product from TEMU.”
Lawal further alleged that the substitution of Suleiman with Moddibo was influenced by pressure from Atiku and accused the former vice president of favouring candidates on ethnic and religious grounds.
He said Suleiman was a “very competent and experienced gentleman” who, in his view, posed a strong challenge to what he described as an attempt to maintain political dominance in the state.
Lawal also alleged that the substitution violated the Electoral Act 2026, the ADC Constitution and the party’s Primary Election Guidelines, adding that he would challenge the matter in court.
“This criminal substitution which violates the Electoral Act 2026, the ADC Constitution, and the ADC Primary Elections Guidelines will be tested in the courts and it will fail woefully,” he said.
Lawal further said he believed voters in Adamawa State would reject what he described as an attempt to impose a candidate on them.
He predicted that both the ADC and the All Progressives Congress, APC, could lose the governorship election, while noting that voters had other candidates and political parties to choose from.
“The Adamawa masses trust God that both the ADC and APC will lose the gubernatorial elections in the state,” he said.