Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, accusing him of promoting divisive rhetoric and making unsubstantiated allegations in his recent comments on national politics and the 2027 presidential election.

Atiku’s position was conveyed in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in response to remarks made by Lawal regarding the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the former vice president’s political ambitions.

The former vice president alleged that Lawal had repeatedly sought to portray an entire ethnic group as being linked to criminality without providing evidence to support such claims.

According to the statement, Lawal failed to present any proof for his allegations and instead relied on speculation and emotion.

The exchange follows recent social media posts by Lawal in which he alleged that the ADC presidential primary process was manipulated in favour of Atiku. The former SGF also called on the opposition party to replace Atiku as its candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

Reacting to the comments, Atiku described Lawal’s position as contradictory, noting that the former SGF had simultaneously claimed political marginalisation while also publicly asserting that several governors were interested in bringing him back to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“What makes Mr. Lawal’s latest outburst even more baffling is that on the very same day he issued his lengthy attack on Atiku Abubakar, he was granting media interviews boasting about his political relevance and claiming that no fewer than five governors wanted him back in the APC,” the statement said.

Atiku questioned the consistency of Lawal’s public positions, arguing that his comments reflected a struggle to reconcile personal political ambitions with current realities.

“One moment, he presents himself as a lonely patriot standing against an imagined threat to Nigeria. The next moment, he portrays himself as a prized political asset being courted by powerful governors,” the statement added.

The former vice president maintained that Lawal was free to pursue his political interests within the APC but should not disguise personal political calculations as national interest.

“It is difficult to take lectures on principle from a man who spent the morning marketing his political value to one party and the afternoon accusing another party’s presidential candidate of representing an ethnic conspiracy,” the statement said.

Atiku also rejected allegations that he had been indifferent to victims of insecurity and violence across the country.

He argued that he had consistently condemned acts of terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, communal clashes and attacks on religious communities throughout his years in public life.

According to him, Nigeria’s future should not be built on ethnic suspicion, religious divisions or fear, but on practical solutions to the country’s challenges.

The former vice president urged political actors to focus on addressing insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, declining educational standards and the growing difficulties faced by Nigerians.

He stressed that national discourse should centre on policies and solutions capable of improving the lives of citizens rather than divisive narratives that could deepen existing tensions.