Publisher and politician, Dele Momodu, has described former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, as “confused” and possibly driven by envy in his recent criticism of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary won by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Momodu made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he responded to Lawal’s claims that the ADC presidential primary was manipulated in favour of Atiku.
Lawal had earlier resigned from the ADC, alleging that the party’s primary process was compromised and not reflective of a genuine democratic exercise.
But Momodu dismissed the allegations, insisting that no credible evidence had been presented to support the claims.
“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?”
He argued that Lawal’s resignation from the party would not significantly affect the ADC or weaken Atiku’s political standing ahead of the 2027 general election.
Momodu also defended Atiku’s public and private record, saying the former vice president had built a reputation independent of government 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,” he said.
According to him, the criticism directed at Atiku by Lawal may not be purely political, suggesting instead that it could stem from personal dissatisfaction.
“Listening to him, I feel very sad. It is obvious to me now that someone like Babachir is probably envious of Atiku,” he added.
Responding to concerns around Atiku’s age, Momodu dismissed suggestions that it should disqualify him from seeking office, arguing that leadership capability should take precedence over age.
“As long as God has given you life, age should not be a problem. Donald Trump and Atiku are in the same age range,” he said.
“The current President of Liberia is over 80 and doing very well. All over the world, older people are still achieving great things in leadership.”
The comments come in the wake of heightened political exchanges following the ADC presidential primary, which Atiku won, while Lawal continues to maintain that the process was not transparent.
