By 247ureports.com
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and declared his support for the party’s 2027 presidential ticket of Peter Obi and running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Received in Abuja
Lawal announced his defection in Abuja on Tuesday, September 22, where he was received by the NDC National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson. Dickson welcomed him on behalf of the party’s national working committee and its candidates, and handed him a leadership role covering the North East, saying his experience would be valuable to the party’s campaigns in the region.
The move comes about three months after Lawal quit the African Democratic Congress (ADC). At the time, he accused the party of manipulating its presidential primary in favour of Atiku Abubakar, alleging that results were altered and that declared winners were replaced in some areas. The ADC has disputed the claim.
“Parties of Crooks”
Explaining his decision, Lawal said he looked at his life and at the future of his children and their friends, and concluded that the country needed a different direction. He has described both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ADC as parties of crooks, and said he is now working for what he calls a new and working Nigeria under Obi.
A Long Political Journey
Lawal has belonged to about six political parties since 2002. He entered politics through the ANPP, coordinating Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign structure in Adamawa, and later followed Buhari through successive platforms, eventually serving as SGF in the Buhari administration. In the 2023 cycle he was in the Labour Party, campaigning for Obi. As recently as May, he had publicly questioned Obi’s commitment to the ADC, arguing that Obi joined the opposition coalition late.
The Atiku Claim
Lawal’s arrival in the NDC coincides with a fresh allegation against his former party’s candidate. In a recent interview, he claimed Atiku asked him to persuade Obi to join the ADC as his running mate, under an arrangement to amend the Constitution to provide for a single six-year term. Lawal said Obi declined. Obi has denied rejecting any vice-presidential offer, saying he does not know where the claim came from. There is no documentary evidence of the alleged proposal, and 247ureports.com has not located a response from Atiku or the ADC.
What It Means for 2027
Lawal’s endorsement gives the NDC a prominent North East figure and a former insider of the Buhari-era government as it builds its northern campaign structure. Obi and Atiku now contest the 2027 election on separate opposition platforms, after the coalition that once brought them together fractured.
247ureports.com will update this story as reactions emerge.
