Nicholas Msheliza, Chairman of the African Democratic Congress Adamawa Primary Electoral Committee, has accused former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal of attempting to rig the ADC presidential primary in Adamawa State. Msheliza made the allegation in a statement issued on Wednesday, countering claims by Lawal that former President Atiku Abubakar won the primary through manipulation. Atiku emerged as the party's presidential candidate following the election held last month, a result Lawal publicly rejected, calling the process flawed before resigning from the party.
Msheliza said Lawal recently tried to justify his actions with what he described as false claims about rigging in favour of Atiku. He stated that Lawal, during a phone call, demanded that he reverse the results from Hong Local Government Area, where Atiku received 11,991 votes, compared to 2,493 for Hayatu-Deen and 377 for Rotimi Amaechi. Msheliza claimed he refused the request. He added that one hour after the call, Lawal, from his office in Abuja, unilaterally dissolved and reconstituted an electoral committee for Hong Local Government Area without consulting him.
The new committee proceeded to produce revised results for Hong, Madagali, Michika, and Mubi North Local Government Areas, Msheliza said, despite not being issued official ward-level electoral materials. He emphasized that the original results from Hong had already been recorded before the new committee's figures emerged. Msheliza challenged Lawal to present the result sheets he claimed to possess for public comparison with those held by the Adamawa State Electoral Committee.
Msheliza dismissed Lawal's assertions as attempts to mask his failure to deliver on promises made to a principal. He accused Lawal of orchestrating unethical interference in the election process and warned that further evidence would be released in a subsequent statement. Msheliza said Lawal, who sometimes identifies as a pastor, should be ashamed rather than launch unfounded attacks.
|||NAJABUZZ_TAKE||| Babachir Lawal demanded reversal of Hong Local Government results after Atiku Abubakar won by over 9,000 votes, then created a new committee to produce alternate figures. The man who accused others of rigging is accused of trying to change results when his candidate lost. He claims to have evidence but has not made it public. Nigerians named in the dispute now face conflicting narratives with no independent verification.
Babachir Lawal cries foul over alleged rigging in the ADC primary, yet his own camp is now accused of trying to manipulate the same process—talk about the pot calling the kettle black. If party bigwigs keep discrediting their own primaries, what hope do ordinary Nigerians have for credible elections? This saga reeks of power struggle dressed as principle.
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