Nicholas Msheliza, Chairman of the African Democratic Congress Adamawa Primary Electoral Committee, has accused Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, of attempting to rig the party’s presidential primary in Adamawa State. In a statement released on Wednesday, Msheliza directly challenged Lawal’s claims that former President Atiku Abubakar rigged his way to victory in the recent ADC presidential primary. The accusation comes after Lawal publicly criticized the primary process and resigned from the opposition party, citing irregularities and unfair practices.
Msheliza dismissed Lawal’s allegations as baseless and politically motivated, describing his statements as “venom of hatred” and “a pack of lies.” He expressed surprise that someone holding a senior position in the party and claiming to be a pastor could resort to distorting facts to justify his failure. According to Msheliza, Lawal lacked understanding of the role of a returning officer and had no legitimate grounds to question the election results.
The controversy centers on Hong Local Government Area, Lawal’s home constituency, where Atiku Abubakar won with 11,991 votes, while Hayatu-Deen and Rotimi Amaechi received 2,493 and 377 votes respectively. Msheliza revealed that Lawal contacted him after the results were declared, demanding that he reverse them in favor of his preferred candidate. He firmly rejected the request, calling it a criminal directive. Just one hour later, Lawal dissolved the existing electoral committee and appointed a new one from his office in Abuja, bypassing Msheliza entirely.
This newly formed committee, which Msheliza refers to as “Babachir Lawal’s committee,” allegedly conducted unauthorized and illegal elections in Hong, Madagali, Michika, and Mubi North Local Government Areas. Crucially, the original results from Hong had already been recorded before the new committee produced its own fabricated results. Msheliza emphasized that the initial results were legitimate and had been entered into the official records prior to the intervention.
He challenged Lawal to produce the so-called “results sheets” he claimed to have as evidence of rigging, urging him to compare them with the official records from the Adamawa State Electoral Committee. Msheliza warned that he would release further evidence in a future statement, including documented instances of unethical interference and attempts to manipulate the election process. He accused Lawal of orchestrating a scam and failing to deliver on his responsibilities.
Msheliza advised Lawal to settle personal grievances through other means rather than undermining a democratic process in which he had played a key role. He concluded by criticizing Lawal’s public outbursts as desperate attempts to cover up his failure, urging him to face the consequences of his actions. The fallout from this dispute could have lasting implications for the credibility of the ADC and its upcoming electoral activities.
Leave a Comment