*Hayatu-Deen Rules Out Court Action, Urges United Opposition
THE Presidency said the exit of former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over alleged irregularities in the conduct of its recent primary elections, which saw the emergence of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, as its presidential candidate, has dealt a serious blow to Atiku than any criticism from the presidency.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, in his social media post in reaction to the allegations and exit from the party of Lawal, the Northeast Vice Chairman of the party, wrote: “We have not fired any bullet against veteran presidential runner and northern hegemonic Abubakar Atiku yet.
“But a close ally just destroyed Atiku in many unflattering words. It’s a warning that the man should retire to Dubai quickly.”
Lawal had, in a statement on Monday, June 1, titled, ‘The Kachalla Series Part 1,’ described the primaries as a “disgraceful charade,” alleging that results were written or altered to favour Atiku and his allies, while even in places where elections were held, the winners were later replaced.
The former SGF stated that remaining in the ADC would amount to supporting what he described as Atiku’s “rigging machine” ahead of next year’s general elections.
Lawal stated: “I am exiting the ADC because its just-concluded primaries were at all levels massively rigged in favour Kachalla Abubakar Atiku.
“I sense a conspiracy of silence of which I want no part of. Most members of the party are behaving as if this is the normal thing to do. Results were just written or rewritten to favour him and his coven.
“Even where they allowed some semblance of election to hold, the winners were simply replaced with members of his syndicate. In the real sense, it was a disgraceful charade.
“I am doing so because I do not intend to be part of Kachalla Atiku’s rigging machine in the 2027 general elections, and I cannot avoid doing so if I remain in the party.
“The man and his cabal are just irredentist Fulani and religious hegemonists. For me, working for Kachalla Atiku means giving Tinubu an automatic ticket to a second term, which gives me nightmares. I believe Tinubu might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian President than Kachalla Atiku could ever be (as bad as Tinubu currently is and possibly could ever be). The choice in 2027, it seems, will be a Morton’s fork.”
According to him: “I did not join the ADC to make Nigeria progressively worse, so my beliefs and conscience won’t allow me partner with the evil that Atiku and his people represent.
“For, with close to 25 adult children, six wives (past and present, some offshore) and a heavily shrunk decapitated business empire, I foresee 25 Seyi Tinubus and six Remi Tinubus; a prospect that has been keeping me awake all night with worry. And who knows which Chagouri’s might be lurking around the corner waiting for an Atiku bazaar?
“I would have thought that the northerners who helped rig the primaries for a near-senile octogenarian they all know to be an incompetent, tribal and religious bigot would be the ones that should crave the most, a good post-2027 governance seeing as Tinubu has driven its people to total destitution.
“I would have thought that when northerners insist on a northern president, they would be thinking of one that will stop the downward spiral into poverty and insecurity, not an ineptocrat like Kachalla Atiku. Alas, a leopard cannot change its spots. The North, it seems, is perpetually doomed to self-harm.
“While I will be tweaking my plans for the future and consulting with like-minded colleagues on how to stop this incompetent octogenarian from coming close to the presidential office, I will, in the meantime, retire to my village farm from where I will be watching Kachalla Atiku and his band of wicked vote riggers and result manipulators mercilessly out-rigged and beaten to pulp by Tinubu’s ruthless and superior rigging machine.
“Then, it will be bye-bye to this octogenarian presidential wannabe. It will be bye-bye to the North for prefaring a religious hegemonists over a competent world-renown economist and corporate guru.”
In the results released by the prty, Atiku secured 1,846,370 votes to defeat former governor of Rivers State, Chibuika Amaechi, who polled 504,117 votes, while businessman, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, got 177,120 votes.
Amaechi and Hayatu-Deen had also criticised and rejected the results. And ostensibly in a fence-mending effort, Akiku has visited both co-contestants separetely at his homes, but details of their duiscussions have not been made public.
Meanwhile, Hayatu-Deen has ruled out court action over the primaries and called for a united opposition.
Hayatu-Deen, however, reiterated concerns over the alleged irregularities and procedural lapses during the exercise, which he said fell short of his expectations.
In a statement on Monday in Abuja, titled, ‘My campaign, the silent majority and the future of our democracy,’ he explained that his decision followed careful reflection and extensive consultations, adding that Nigeria’s need for a strong, credible and united opposition is more important than personal ambition or temporary political disappointment.
Hayatu-Deen said he joined the ADC because he believed the party offered an opportunity to build a credible opposition platform anchored on integrity, internal democracy and national renewal, and his campaign was inspired by Nigeria’s “silent majority” citizens who still believed in competent, principled and visionary leadership.
He stated that his nationwide engagements exposed him to Nigerians who desired fairness, security, economic prosperity and compassionate governance, and that leadership matters.
The aspirant said he had privately communicated his concerns regarding the primary process to the party leadership and expressed confidence that they would be reviewed, noting: “Any party that aspires to lead Nigeria must first demonstrate democratic discipline and integrity within its own walls.”
He urged Nigerians not to lose faith in the country, in spite of prevailing challenges, insisting that meaningful national transformation remained possible, adding: “Please do not stop believing. Do not surrender your hope to cynicism. Do not accept dysfunction as normal.”
