Fresh controversy has erupted within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after the chairman of the party’s electoral committee in Adamawa State, Dr. Nicholas Msheliza, accused former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, of attempting to manipulate the outcome of the party’s presidential primary in the state.
The allegation comes days after Lawal publicly claimed that the ADC presidential primary that produced former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election was rigged. Lawal had alleged that results from some local government areas were altered during collation to favour Atiku.
Responding to those claims, Msheliza, who also served as the Returning Officer for the Adamawa primaries, alleged that Lawal was the one who sought to influence the results. He claimed the former SGF contacted him after votes had been compiled and directed him to alter figures from Hong Local Government Area in favour of businessman and presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
“When Babachir Lawal got wind of the results, he called and requested that I reverse the results to favour his candidate. I refused to carry out his directive,” Msheliza said in a statement.
According to him, the official results from Hong LGA showed Atiku polling 11,991 votes, while Hayatu-Deen secured 2,493 votes and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi received 377 votes. He argued that these figures directly contradicted the claims made by Lawal in recent media interviews.
Lawal had alleged that a returning officer manipulated results by reversing votes originally won by Hayatu-Deen and awarding them to Atiku. The accusation formed part of the reasons he cited for resigning from the ADC shortly after the party’s presidential primary held on May 25, 2026.
Msheliza identified himself as the official referenced in Lawal’s allegations and claimed that events unfolded differently. He alleged that shortly after refusing to alter the results, Lawal dissolved the duly constituted electoral committee for Hong Local Government Area and assembled a separate committee without consultation.
The ADC official further claimed that the parallel committee conducted what he described as an unauthorized exercise in Hong, Madagali, Michika, and Mubi North local government areas without receiving official electoral materials from the state electoral committee.
“This was the Babachir Lawal committee that went on to illegally carry out his rigging assignment in Hong, Madagali, Michika and Mubi North Local Government Areas without any ward electoral materials given to them,” he alleged.
Msheliza challenged Lawal to publicly release the result sheets he claimed to possess, insisting that he was prepared for a side-by-side comparison with the official records from the Adamawa State electoral committee.
The returning officer also questioned Lawal’s credibility, expressing disappointment that a former senior government official and respected political figure would make allegations he described as misleading.
The controversy marks another chapter in the growing fallout from Lawal’s departure from the ADC. Atiku’s supporters have repeatedly dismissed claims that the primary was manipulated, insisting that the former vice president emerged through a legitimate democratic process.
Adding to the debate, Atiku’s camp previously argued that Lawal did not challenge the emergence of his cousin, Omar Suleiman, as the ADC governorship candidate in Adamawa through the same primary process he now criticises.
Meanwhile, Hayatu-Deen has distanced himself from the dispute, stating that he has no intention of challenging Atiku’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate. He has instead urged party members to prioritize unity and focus on building a strong opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
With both sides threatening to release evidence, the dispute is expected to intensify in the coming days as the ADC grapples with internal divisions following its presidential primary.
