Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticised former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, accusing him of promoting divisive and ethnically charged narratives in his recent public comments.
Mr Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, expressed concern over what he described as attempts by Lawal to discredit him through ethnic profiling, prejudice and unsubstantiated allegations.
The former vice president said it was unfortunate that a public figure of Lawal’s stature had abandoned facts and reason in favour of what he termed conspiracy theories aimed at tarnishing the image of political opponents.
According to Atiku, Lawal failed to provide evidence to support his claims, instead relying on suspicion and emotional rhetoric.
“The most disturbing aspect of Babachir’s latest intervention is not his criticism, which remains his democratic right, but his repeated attempt to portray an entire ethnic group as inherently linked to criminality,” Atiku said.
He argued that it was dangerous and irresponsible to judge or condemn individuals based solely on their ethnic background, warning that such reasoning could deepen divisions and undermine national cohesion.
Atiku noted that if Lawal’s logic were applied universally, every ethnic group in Nigeria could be held responsible for the crimes committed by a few individuals within their communities.
The ADC presidential candidate also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in Lawal’s position, recalling that the former SGF served under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he noted belongs to the same ethnic group Lawal now appears eager to criticise.
“At no point did Mr. Lawal object to receiving such trust and elevation from a Fulani President. He accepted the office, the privileges and the prestige that came with it,” Atiku stated.
He questioned why Lawal now seeks to stigmatise an entire ethnic group because another Fulani politician is contesting for the presidency through democratic means.
Atiku further accused Lawal of inconsistency, noting that while attacking him politically, the former SGF was simultaneously granting media interviews in which he claimed several governors were eager to bring him back into the ruling party.
