ABUJA, NIGERIA — Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Electoral Chieftain Babachir Lawal, has thrown the opposition camp into a fresh crisis after publicly defending his decision to label former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as a “Kachalla”—a traditional title frequently associated with bandit leaders and warlords in northern Nigeria.
Appearing on Channels Television’s flagship political program with anchor Seun Okinbaloye, Lawal justification for the derogatory term sparked immediate controversy, coming on the heels of his high-profile resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The Confrontation in the Studio
During the live broadcast, Okinbaloye pressed the former SGF on the combative and highly unconventional language utilized in his formal exit correspondence from the party, specifically questioning the rationale behind the targeted insult aimed at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential standard-bearer.
“Why did you refer to Atiku as ‘Kachalla’ in your resignation letter from the ADC?” Okinbaloye asked directly.
Lawal responded with a sharp counter-question, pointing to what he characterized as a suspicious and calculated silence from the former Vice President regarding the ongoing insecurity ravaging the northern region.
“Have you ever seen Atiku condemn bandit attacks?” Lawal fired back, implying that the presidential hopeful deliberately avoids taking a definitive stance against terror networks to preserve local political goodwill or regional alliances.
The Significance of the ‘Kachalla’ Label
In northern Nigerian nomenclature, particularly within the Kanuri and Hausa borderlands, “Kachalla” historically refers to a military commander or scout. However, within the context of the contemporary security crisis, the term has been heavily pejorated by the public and security intelligence to denote prominent, high-ranking bandit kingpins who coordinate mass abductions and rural terrorism across the Northwest.
By deploying this specific terminology, Lawal sought to tie Atiku’s political posture to the broader security failures in the region, arguing that a leader who fails to loudly and consistently denounce the slaughter of citizens cannot be trusted with national security.
Tensions Boils Over in the Opposition Bloc
Lawal’s public outburst underscores the deep-seated animosity and fragmentation currently plaguing alternative political coalitions ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.
The former SGF’s exit from the ADC and his subsequent media campaign against Atiku have disrupted ongoing alignment talks between disgruntled northern stakeholders and southern political movements. Inside sources within Atiku’s campaign organization have swiftly rejected Lawal’s assertions, labeling them as the “bitter rants of a displaced politician” seeking cheap relevance after falling out of favor with mainstream party structures.
Atiku’s media team has consistently maintained that the former Vice President has issued numerous statements condemning insecurity, pointing instead to his published policy documents which advocate for the decentralization of the police force and the introduction of state policing as the ultimate solution to banditry.
