Adamawa 2027: Babachir Lawal threatens legal action over ADC candidate substitution

By Musa Baba Adamu with agency report

A fresh internal crisis is brewing within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State following the party’s decision to replace its purported governorship primary winner, Umar Suleiman, with Tukur Moddibo as its candidate for the 2027 election.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has rejected the substitution and threatened to challenge the decision in court.
Lawal alleged that Suleiman, from Hong Local Government Area, won the ADC governorship primary but was subsequently replaced by Moddibo, whom he claimed was preferred by the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
According to him, the substitution allegedly contravenes the Electoral Act 2026, the ADC constitution and the party’s guidelines for its primary elections.
“Clearly, this unlawful substitution, which violates the Electoral Act 2026, the ADC constitution, and the ADC Primary Elections Guidelines, will be tested in the courts,” Lawal stated.
The former SGF also accused Atiku of disregarding the rule of law in the handling of the party’s governorship candidacy in Adamawa, warning that the development could damage ADC’s chances in the 2027 election.
He alleged that speculation that Atiku favoured Moddibo because of their shared Fulani background had eventually materialized after Moddibo’s name was uploaded as the party’s candidate.
“What started as a rumour that Atiku preferred one of his kinsmen, Tukur Moddibo, a Fulani Muslim from Fufore Local Government Area, as his preferred ADC gubernatorial candidate simply on account of his being of the Fulani ethnic stock has become a reality,” Lawal said.
He insisted that the alleged substitution would ultimately fail, predicting that the controversy would cost the ADC victory in Adamawa.
Lawal further urged voters and political actors in the state to consider candidates from other political parties, arguing that credible alternatives were available ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
“At the presidential level, options include candidates from either the APC or NDC but certainly not from the ADC,” he added.
The dispute adds another layer of uncertainty to ADC’s preparations for the 2027 Adamawa governorship election, with the threatened court action potentially placing the party’s choice of candidate under judicial scrutiny.