Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded sharply to criticisms by former SGF Babachir Lawal, saying the same ADC primary process now being dismissed as fraudulent also produced his cousin, Omar Suleiman, as the party’s governorship candidate in Adamawa State—an outcome Lawal has not condemned.
In a pointed rebuttal, Atiku questioned what he described as “selective outrage” over the outcome of the party’s primaries, suggesting that concerns about credibility were being raised only when the process did not favour certain interests.
He argued that Nigerians were entitled to ask whether the same electoral process was considered credible when it produced candidates aligned with personal or family interests, but suddenly labelled fraudulent when it delivered results that were not convenient.
Atiku further maintained that Lawal’s criticisms appeared to be driven more by dissatisfaction with the outcome of the presidential primary than by a consistent concern for internal democracy or electoral integrity within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The exchange marks a fresh escalation in tensions within the ADC following disputes over the conduct and outcome of its recently concluded primaries, which have continued to generate controversy among party stakeholders and political observers.
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