•••Former SGF, days after quitting ADC, says ex-VP never condemned bandit attacks as political war deepens ahead of 2027
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has intensified his attacks on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, defending his controversial decision to describe the ADC presidential candidate as “Kachalla,” a Hausa word often associated with a bandit leader or warlord.
Lawal’s latest remarks came shortly after his resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), where he accused the party of manipulating its presidential primary in favour of Atiku.
The former SGF had earlier alleged that the primary process was massively rigged and claimed that results were rewritten to ensure Atiku’s emergence as the party’s flagbearer for the 2027 presidential election.
Responding to questions over his repeated use of the term “Kachalla,” Lawal reportedly challenged critics to identify any instance where Atiku publicly condemned bandit attacks ravaging parts of northern Nigeria.
According to him, the former vice president’s alleged silence on the activities of armed groups operating across the North raises serious concerns about leadership and accountability at a time when insecurity remains one of the country’s most pressing challenges.
The remarks have added a fresh dimension to the growing political confrontation between both northern politicians, whose relationship has deteriorated sharply following Atiku’s victory at the ADC presidential primary.
In his resignation statement, Lawal described Atiku’s emergence as a “charade,” alleging that the process was controlled by what he called a political syndicate determined to impose a predetermined outcome. He further vowed not to participate in what he termed Atiku’s “rigging machine” ahead of the next general election.
The former SGF also launched a broader attack on Atiku’s political ambition, arguing that the ADC candidate would struggle to unite Nigerians and warning that internal divisions within the opposition could ultimately strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s re-election prospects in 2027.
