Former SGF Babachir Lawal officially joins NDC

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, three months after leaving the African Democratic Congress over allegations of manipulation of the party’s presidential primary.

Lawal was unveiled as a member of the NDC in Abuja on Tuesday, where he declared support for the party’s presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking after he was received into the opposition party, the former SGF said Nigerians concerned about insecurity, hunger and other challenges facing the country should support the NDC.

Lawal said:

“Anybody in Nigeria who has the interest of our country at heart and sympathy for the suffering that is ongoing in our country, along with insecurity, hunger, ignorance and disease, will have no choice but to join a party that represents the future and have Peter and Kwankwaso as their candidates.”

He added that supporting the NDC had become a necessary step towards achieving what he described as a better future for the country.

“Every sensible and patriotic Nigerian ought to understand this. It is now convincing to partner with the NDC to see to the fulfilment of the very noble objective of installing Obi as the president and Kwankwaso as vice president.”

Receiving Lawal into the party, NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, described him as a political mobiliser with extensive experience in Nigerian politics.

Dickson said Lawal’s experience would be valuable to the party’s activities, particularly in the North-East region.

He said the former SGF would oversee NDC campaign activities in the zone and provide guidance to candidates and party members.

Lawal’s move to the NDC comes about three months after his resignation from the ADC, where he alleged that the party’s presidential primary process was manipulated to favour former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

In his resignation statement, Babachir Lawal said he could no longer remain in a party whose primary process he described as fundamentally flawed.

He alleged that results were altered to favour Atiku and his supporters, claiming that in some areas where voting took place, declared winners were allegedly replaced.

The former SGF served under former President Muhammadu Buhari before later becoming one of the prominent figures involved in opposition coalition discussions ahead of the 2027 elections.