A Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has threatened to institute legal proceedings against the African Democratic Congress and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over the alleged substitution of the party’s 2027 governorship candidate in Adamawa State.

Lawal, in a statement made available to journalists on Monday, alleged that the ADC unlawfully replaced its candidate, Umar Suleiman, who he said won the party’s governorship primary, with Tukur Moddibo.

He said the alleged substitution violated the Electoral Act 2026, the ADC Constitution and the party’s primary election guidelines, adding that the matter would be challenged in court.

“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.

“And certainly, the unlawful act will fail woefully. Atiku’s contempt for the rule of law will cost ADC victory in the Adamawa governorship election in 2027,” Lawal said.

According to the former SGF, Suleiman, a Kilba Muslim from Hong Local Government Area, won the ADC primary “in a landslide” and was expected to be presented as the party’s candidate for the 2027 election.

He, however, alleged that Moddibo, a Fulani Muslim from Fufore Local Government Area, was subsequently substituted for Suleiman following pressure from Atiku and other party leaders.

Lawal said, “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.

“The rumour has now transmitted into reality; it is Tukur Moddibo’s name that was uploaded.”

He accused the ADC leadership of sacrificing what he described as “common sense, equity and justice” to allegedly satisfy the interests of Atiku.

Lawal further claimed that the substitution could undermine the ADC’s chances of winning the governorship election in Adamawa, arguing that the party had previously been positioned to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress.

He alleged that the development was part of a broader political strategy involving the APC candidate, Ahmed Galadima, whom he claimed would be more amenable to the interests of Atiku and the Adamawa Emirate Council.

The former SGF also linked the dispute to the restoration of chiefdoms and emirates of indigenous ethnic groups in Adamawa by the state government under Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.

According to him, some Fulani elites and traditional title holders opposed the restoration because it reduced the influence previously wielded by the Adamawa Emirate Council.

He alleged that the objective was to consolidate political and traditional authority in the hands of what he described as an “oppressive power centre” at the expense of indigenous communities.

Lawal said the alleged substitution had reinforced his earlier concerns about what he described as the implications of an Atiku presidency for non-Fulani and non-Muslim communities in Northern Nigeria.

He, however, said the development would not leave voters in Adamawa without alternatives, noting that other political parties had credible candidates who could contest the governorship election.

“At the state level, there are viable options in the other political parties who are fielding some serious and competent candidates in the gubernatorial election.

“At the presidential level, options include candidates from either the APC or NDC but certainly not from the ADC,” he said.

Lawal predicted that the ADC and APC could both face rejection by voters in the state if the alleged substitution was not reversed.

He said, “Because the ADC in the state has decided to hang itself in choosing to please this religious and tribal hegemonist, the 2027 general elections in the state will be ‘to your house o Israel’ in which every voter will have to answer his father’s ancestral name.

“Therefore, in Adamawa State, in the 2027 elections, the ADC and APC gubernatorial candidates might as well not be on the ballot.”

He warned that the ADC would face serious political consequences if it failed to reverse the alleged substitution.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls seeking his comments on the allegations.