Ex-SGF known for grass-cutting scandal, not electoral integrity – Atiku’s aide replies Babachir Lawal

Phrank Shaibu, senior special assistant on public communication to Atiku Abubakar, has criticised Babachir Lawal, former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), over his comments on the  African Democratic Congress (ADC) primaries.

On Monday, Lawal announced his resignation from the ADC, alleging that the just-concluded primaries of the party were “massively rigged” in favour of the former vice-president and his allies.

Last month, the ADC conducted nationwide direct primaries to select its candidates for the senate, house of representatives, governorship and state houses of assembly ahead of the 2027 elections.

The party also held a presidential primary, with Atiku, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, former managing director of the defunct FSB International Bank, and Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers, as the main contenders.

Atiku polled 1,846,370 votes to defeat Amaechi, who garnered 504,117 votes, while Hayatu-Deen got 177,120 votes.

Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen subsequently rejected the election outcome and boycotted the announcement of the ADC presidential results in Abuja.

‘LAWAL HAS NO EVIDENCE TO BACK HIS CLAIMS’

In a statement, Shaibu said Lawal lacks the moral authority to speak on electoral integrity because of his involvement in the controversial grass-cutting scandal.

In 2017, former President Muhammadu Buhari firedLawal as SGF after he was indicted in an alleged N544.1 million grass-cutting scandal.

Shaibu described Lawal’s allegations of manipulation as baseless, adding that he failed to provide evidence to support his claims that the primaries were rigged.

“He has produced no documents, no verifiable facts, no credible witnesses, and no proof whatsoever to support his sensational allegations,” the statement reads.

“It is perhaps the greatest irony of this entire episode that Mr Babachir Lawal now seeks to reinvent himself as Nigeria’s newest apostle of integrity, transparency, and democratic virtue.

“Mr Lawal is not remembered for any celebrated crusade for accountability. Rather, he remains one of the most prominent public officials ever removed from office under the cloud of the infamous grass-cutting contract scandal.”

He accused Lawal of inconsistency, noting that the former SGF criticised the primary process but failed to fault the emergence of Omar Suleiman, his cousin, as the ADC governorship candidate in Adamawa state.

“If the ADC primaries were truly the sham Mr Lawal now portrays them to be, intellectual honesty would require him to reject every outcome arising from that exercise, including the emergence of his cousin,” he said.

Shaibu said the 2027 election would be decided by Nigerians and not by the “post-primary bitterness” of any politician. (The Cable)