Publisher Dele Momodu has dismissed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal's criticism of Atiku Abubakar's victory at the African Democratic Congress presidential primary, saying Lawal is confused and possibly envious of the former vice president.
Momodu made the remarks on Monday on Channels Television's Politics Today programme, responding to Lawal's claim that the ADC primary was rigged in Atiku's favour. Lawal had resigned from the party last week, saying the primary was manipulated and did not reflect genuine democratic practice.
"I listened patiently to him. He sounded a bit confused about the subject matter," Momodu said. "He is a man above 70, so at what point did he realise that Atiku is what he is calling him? He said they rigged the election; why didn't he come with documents?"
Momodu pressed the point that Lawal had offered no credible evidence to back his allegations. He argued that Lawal's departure from the ADC would not damage either the party or Atiku's prospects in the 2027 general election.
The publisher defended Atiku's track record, describing him as a self-made businessman who has never depended on government money or patronage. "Atiku does not live on government resources. He is a cosmopolitan Nigerian. He has never been investigated, prosecuted or convicted. He minds his business and does not control any state where he is collecting political dividends," Momodu said.
He suggested that Lawal's attacks stemmed from personal grievance rather than genuine political objection. "Listening to him, I feel very sad. It is obvious to me now that someone like Babachir is probably envious of Atiku," he added.
When the conversation turned to concerns about Atiku's age and fitness to lead, Momodu rejected the argument outright. He said age should not disqualify anyone from seeking office if they retained the capacity to lead effectively. He pointed to examples of older leaders performing well globally, including former United States President Donald Trump and Liberia's current president, who is over 80 years old.
"As long as God has given you life, age should not be a problem. Donald Trump and Atiku are in the same age range," Momodu said. "All over the world, older people are still achieving great things in leadership."
Lawal has remained adamant that the ADC primary lacked transparency, but has provided no documentary evidence of the alleged irregularities. The former SGF has not publicly responded to Momodu's latest comments.
