Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has dismissed allegations by ex-SGF Babachir Lawal on the conduct of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential primary, saying the claims lack evidence.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku urged Lawal to back his allegations with verifiable documentation.
“Nigerians who watched Mr Lawal’s interview were confronted with a man armed with outrage but bereft of evidence; rich in allegations but poor in facts,” Shaibu said.
He said Lawal spent “nearly an hour making grave accusations about the conduct of the ADC presidential primary” but failed to provide proof.
“Mr Lawal spent nearly an hour making grave accusations about the conduct of the ADC presidential primary. Yet he failed to produce a single piece of verifiable evidence. No document. No petition. No result sheet. No witness statement. No recording. Nothing,” he stated.
Shaibu argued that Lawal’s intervention reflected dissatisfaction with the primary outcome rather than an objective assessment. He added that Lawal’s narrative was inconsistent.
“Such claims are internally inconsistent. It cannot be argued on one hand that a political actor is inactive, and on the other that the same individual controls outcomes nationwide,” Shaibu said.
The statement also defended Atiku’s political record, citing his role in economic liberalisation and reforms in telecommunications and private sector development.
“As far as we are concerned, this is the final response to Mr Lawal’s increasingly desperate attempts to remain politically relevant through sensationalism and character assassination,” Shaibu added.
“The facts remain unchanged. The truth remains intact. And no amount of bitterness can alter either.”
Lawal is yet to respond to Atiku’s rebuttal as of press time.
Atiku Replies Babachir Lawal, Says ADC Primary Allegations ‘Lack Evidence’
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