Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has claimed that Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso had reservations about former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s influence in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before joining the party.
Lawal made the disclosure on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday while recounting the negotiations that preceded Obi and Kwankwaso’s involvement with the opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, he played a major role in persuading both politicians to join the ADC despite their concerns over Atiku’s presence in the party.
Lawal said Obi was initially hesitant about joining the ADC but eventually agreed after several discussions.
‘I attended every meeting of the ADC, and at one time, Peter Obi was playing in and out. I was the one who finally dragged Peter into the ADC and committed him to joining the ADC,’ he said.
He also claimed that Kwankwaso was worried that Atiku’s involvement could affect the party’s prospects.
‘We also convinced Kwankwaso to join the ADC, but he was always afraid that with Atiku Abubakar there, nothing good would ever come out of the ADC,’ Lawal said.
Lawal said Obi had similar concerns, particularly regarding how the ADC presidential primary would be conducted.
He explained that Obi preferred a consensus arrangement, arguing that an open primary could favour candidates with greater financial resources and political influence.
According to him, the failure to agree on a consensus candidate contributed to Obi and Kwankwaso’s eventual exit from the ADC.
He claimed that both politicians later became convinced that the primary process was being tilted in favour of Atiku.
Lawal, who had previously been an ally of Atiku, left the ADC after the former vice-president emerged as the party’s presidential candidate following the primary election.
He had earlier alleged that the primary was manipulated, a claim that has not been accepted by all actors within the party.
Babachir Lawal has since joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the platform backing Obi and Kwankwaso as its presidential and vice-presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 election.
The latest comments come amid ongoing political realignments and internal debates within opposition camps ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.