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The media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has rejected allegations from former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal that Atiku never condemned bandit attacks in Nigeria, describing the claims as personal attacks driven by Lawal’s alleged “abuse of booze.”
Paul Ibe, Atiku’s spokesman, issued a statement on Sunday responding to Lawal’s recent interview on Channels TV, where the former SGF asked, “Have you ever seen Atiku condemn bandit attacks?” Lawal had also referred to Atiku as “Kachalla” – a title he linked to bandit leaders.
Ibe questioned Lawal’s mental state and suggested he may be suffering from the effects of alcohol consumption.
“Babachir Lawal may have been preoccupied with hitting the sauce but it is public record that the Waziri had always spoken against terrorist and banditry attacks,” Ibe said.
Ibe stated that it is well documented that Atiku has frequently spoken against terrorist and banditry attacks across Nigeria and has shown empathy to communities that suffered such violence.
The spokesman noted that despite Atiku being Fulani from Adamawa State in the northeast, the former vice president and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate for the 2027 election has forcefully condemned terrorist attacks and the escalating wave of kidnappings across the country.
“When responding to these incidents, he often criticises the Federal Government and the leader of the government of the day, and in this dispensation, President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the country’s security architecture is collapsing and that officials rely on ’empty statements’ rather than taking decisive, preventive action,” Ibe said.
Ibe accused Lawal of attempting revisionism regarding what he called Lawal’s “disgraceful public service record” and alleged efforts to cause the rigging of the ADC presidential primary.
“It is becoming obvious that Babachir Lawal is going bunkers possibly from the abuse of booze,” Ibe added.
Ibe outlined several proposals Atiku has made to address insecurity in Nigeria.
These include an overhaul of the country’s counterterrorism framework and calls for the National Assembly to pass legislation that would allow state governments to arm their own security outfits with modern weapons to complement overstretched federal forces.
Atiku has also highlighted the importance of localised efforts, urging community members to provide intelligence to security agencies and avoid acting as informants for armed groups, Ibe said.
In addition, Ibe noted that Atiku has proposed the creation of a National Victims and Survivors Support Framework to ensure that affected communities receive psychological support, educational opportunities and economic recovery programmes.
“In one of his most recent engagements, the former Vice President proposed for Special Courts to not only try these criminals but that those found guilty be handed capital punishment,” Ibe stated.
Ibe challenged Lawal to review news reports documenting Atiku’s past statements on security issues across the country.
“When Babachir Lawal is eventually sober, he may wish to take out time to review some of the links of news reports in which Atiku Abubakar spoke against terrorist and banditry attacks and proffered solutions,” Ibe said.
“Those engagements covered every state of the country without exception.”
Response to Lawal’s resignation
Ibe also addressed Lawal’s resignation from the ADC on June 1, 2026, in which the former SGF claimed the party’s primaries were “massively rigged” in Atiku’s favour.
Ibe dismissed Lawal’s allegations, accusing him of attempting to distract from what he described as Lawal’s “ignominious role in presiding over a scam.”
“Instead of addressing the issue of his ignominious role in presiding over a scam in which he allegedly extorted money to deliver the presidential ticket, but failed because those charged with the responsibility of conducting the election stopped him in his tracks, Babachir Lawal has resorted to personal attacks against Atiku Abubakar,” Ibe said.
Ibe said the Atiku camp read Lawal’s comments with “amusement but concern for the mental state” of the former SGF.
“We read with amusement but concern for the mental state of former SGF Babachir Lawal, his latest attempt at revisionism of his disgraceful public service record and failed efforts to cause the rigging of the ADC presidential primary,” Ibe wrote.
The spokesman reiterated that Atiku has always spoken out against violence regardless of where it occurs in the country.
“It is also on record that the Waziri Adamawa advocates for an overhaul of Nigeria’s counterterrorism framework,” Ibe said.
PRESS RELEASE
Babachir Lawal was in a state of stupor while Atiku was condemning, empathising and proffering solutions to terrorist, banditry attacks in Benue, Plateau, others
We read with amusement but concern for the mental state of former SGF Babachir Lawal, his latest… pic.twitter.com/eqzsq6E94H
— Paul Ibe (@omonlakiki) June 7, 2026
Background on Lawal’s allegations
Lawal resigned from the ADC on June 1, 2026, claiming the party’s recent primaries were manipulated in favour of Atiku and his allies.
In his resignation statement, Lawal described the exercise as “massively rigged,” claiming the process was skewed to ensure Atiku and his allies emerged.
He also wrote that he believed President Tinubu “might, comparatively speaking, end up a better Nigerian president than Kachalla Atiku could ever be.”
Lawal further criticised Atiku personally, writing about “close to 25 adult children, 6 wives (past and present, some offshore) and a heavily shrunk, decapitated business empire.”
As of Sunday afternoon, Lawal, who was SGF under the now-deceased former President Muhammadu Buhari, had not replied to Ibe’s most recent statement.
