Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has claimed credit for bringing Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying he persuaded a hesitant Obi to fully commit to the party.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, Lawal said he played a central role in assembling the ADC coalition from its founding on July 2, 2025 — a coalition that later named former Senate President David Mark as its national chairman.
“I attended every meeting of the ADC, and at one time, Peter Obi was playing in and out. I was the one who finally dragged Peter into the ADC and committed him to joining the ADC,” Lawal said.
He added that he and others also worked to bring former Kano State governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso on board, though Kwankwaso remained wary of the ADC’s prospects given the presence of Atiku Abubakar within the party. “We also convinced Kwankwaso to join the ADC, but he was always afraid that with Atiku Abubakar there, nothing good would ever come out of the ADC,” he said.
Atiku, a longtime ally of Kwankwaso, later left the ADC following its presidential primary, which he alleged was heavily rigged in favour of a rival candidate.
Lawal himself has since exited the ADC. He announced last week that he was joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to back the ticket of Peter Obi for president and Rabi’u Kwankwaso for vice president ahead of the 2027 general election.
Comments