ADC rejects Babachir Lawal’s claim Atiku will lose 2027 election

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) dismisses Babachir Lawal’s prediction of Atiku’s defeat in 2027 as a personal prayer, not evidence-based. Read More: https://punchng.com/babachirs-prediction-of-atikus-defeat-lacks-basis-adc/

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal’s forecast that its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, will lose the 2027 presidential election, calling it a personal prayer rather than a credible analysis. Chille Igbawua, Special Adviser to the ADC National Chairman on Research, Policy and Strategy, made the party’s position clear during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Tuesday. He was responding to Lawal’s recent comments on Symfoni TV, where the ex-SGF claimed that a joint ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso would have a 70% chance of victory, President Bola Tinubu around 50%, and Atiku “zero.” Lawal added, “Definitely, Atiku will lose. He will, and I pray he loses.” Igbawua dismissed the remarks as lacking any scientific, factual, or analytical foundation. “When you just say you are praying… that is not a scientific approach to a projection that you can argue against,” he stated. “So it becomes difficult to argue against a person who has no basis for making a projection.” The ADC official emphasised that the party is prioritising concrete preparations for the election over speculative debates. He highlighted the party’s robust manifesto and clear policy documents aimed at rescuing Nigeria from its current challenges. “We are working on what it takes to win an election… we’re speaking from the work and the analysis we’re doing,” Igbawua said. Addressing comparisons between potential tickets, Igbawua argued that pitting Obi and Kwankwaso together against Atiku alone was unfair. He pointed to Atiku’s running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, a former presidential contender who placed second in the APC primaries  as a strong partner. “I believe that it is absolutely faulty to suggest that an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket is stronger than an Atiku-Rotimi Amaechi ticket. Certainly not,” he said. He further defended Atiku’s track record, noting that the former Vice President had previously outperformed both Obi and Kwankwaso in past presidential contests. Igbawua also clarified that Peter Obi was not part of the original opposition coalition that adopted the ADC as its platform. According to him, Obi joined later, in December of the previous year, after key decisions had already been made. He defended the party’s presidential primary as compliant with the ADC constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Nigerian Constitution, while acknowledging it was not perfect. On the removal of fuel subsidies, the ADC spokesman said the party did not oppose the policy itself but criticised the current administration’s lack of transparency in managing the resulting savings. The party plans to unveil further details of its policy agenda soon, with emphasis on youth and women’s inclusion, security, and delivering tangible governance outcomes. This response comes amid ongoing tensions, as Babachir Lawal had earlier resigned from the ADC and criticised its primaries. The ADC maintains focus on building a strong electoral platform for 2027.