475
By Oscar Okhifo
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has launched a fresh attack on the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, accusing the former vice president of ethnic politics, questioning his competence and business credentials, and urging the party to replace him ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Lawal made the remarks in a lengthy Facebook post titled “Kachalla 2,” in which he defended himself against renewed criticism over the controversial “grass-cutting” scandal while insisting that his opposition to Atiku was motivated by concerns over Nigeria’s future.
The former SGF, who recently resigned from the ADC after alleging that the party’s presidential primary was manipulated to favour Atiku, said he had become the target of insults and threats following an earlier post criticising the former vice president.
According to him, rather than addressing the substance of his arguments, his critics had instead revived allegations surrounding the contract scandal that led to his removal from office in 2017.
Lawal has consistently maintained that some elements who were threatened by his close relationship with then President Muhammadu Buhari orchestrated the “grass-cutting” corruption narrative, which he insists was politically driven and later dismissed by the courts after a prolonged trial.
He claimed he was the victim of a carefully orchestrated political conspiracy designed to remove him from office because of his close relationship with former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He also alleged that powerful political interests were uncomfortable with Buhari’s confidence in him and opposed his appointment as SGF because he came from the minority Kilba ethnic group and is a Christian.
Defending his criticism of Atiku, Lawal wrote: “No, it is my right to interrogate the character and competence of someone who seeks to be my President. He is free to step down his ambition if he does not want to be so queried.”
The former SGF further claimed that investigations into the contract award were politically motivated and that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after prosecuting the matter, failed to produce evidence linking him to any wrongdoing.
Giving his version of events, Lawal said the controversial consultancy contract was worth only N7.2 Milion and involved a company he once owned, which he claimed won the bid competitively without his knowledge.
He maintained that the project was not simply a “grass-cutting” exercise as widely portrayed but a major environmental and agricultural intervention involving the clearing of more than 320 kilometres of the Komadugu-Yobe River, restoration of irrigation facilities, rehabilitation of farmlands, provision of fishing equipment and employment for over 1,000 displaced persons and refugees.
According to him, the project improved irrigation, fishing and navigation activities while supporting the Buhari administration’s agricultural initiatives in the North-East.
Insisting that he committed no offence, Lawal stated: “No money was lost by the government, no bribe was given and no money was laundered. N7.2 million; that is it.”
He argued that the consultancy contract had been unfairly portrayed as a corruption scandal despite being fully executed and certified by relevant government authorities before payment.
Lawal also intensified his criticism of Atiku, accusing the former vice president of remaining silent over killings, kidnappings and attacks allegedly carried out by armed bandits across different parts of Nigeria.
He questioned why Atiku had allegedly failed to publicly sympathise with victims or consistently condemn notorious bandit leaders and other violent criminals operating in the country.
He further argued that an Atiku presidency could embolden criminal groups and deepen ethnic divisions, while insisting that Nigerians have every right to scrutinise the character and competence of anyone seeking the office of president.
Lawal also criticised Atiku’s business record, alleging that several companies associated with the former vice president had either struggled, been leased out or sold off, while claiming that infrastructure at Atiku’s university had deteriorated.
Calling on the ADC leadership to reconsider its choice of candidate, Lawal declared: “I would urge ADC to replace this man with a more qualified candidate if they want to have any hope of winning the presidential election before INEC timetable runs out on them.”
He maintained that he would continue to speak out against Atiku’s presidential ambition despite attacks from his supporters, insisting: “I will not lie low and allow his goons to lynch me, be it physically or on the social media.”
Lawal’s latest outburst comes weeks after he resigned from the ADC, alleging that the party’s presidential primary was fundamentally flawed and skewed in favour of Atiku Abubakar from the outset, thereby denying other aspirants a fair contest.
It would be recalled that in November 2022, a Federal High Court in Abuja discharged and acquitted Lawal and five other defendants in the long-running “grass-cutting” fraud case after upholding their no-case submission.
The court held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case requiring them to enter a defence, effectively bringing the trial to an end.
The charges arose from contracts awarded under the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE), the controversy that led to Lawal’s removal as SGF in 2017.
At the time of filing this report, Atiku Abubakar and his media team had yet to respond to the allegations and claims made by Lawal in the Facebook post.
It could not be immediately ascertained whether the former vice president would issue an official reaction to the remarks, many of which touch on sensitive political and security issues ahead of the 2027 presidential election.