Ex-SGF Babachir Lawal Joins NDC, Endorses Obi–Kwankwaso Ticket

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir David Lawal has formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), three months after resigning from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and declared his support for the party’s presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lawal was received into the opposition party in Abuja on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, where he said his decision was motivated by concern over Nigeria’s worsening challenges, including insecurity, hunger, ignorance and disease. He described the NDC as the political platform that best represents the country’s future and urged Nigerians to rally behind its candidates.

“Anybody in Nigeria who has the interest of our country at heart and sympathy for the suffering that is ongoing in our country, along with insecurity, hunger, ignorance and disease, will have no choice but to join a party that represents the future and have Peter and Kwankwaso as their candidates,” Lawal said.

The former SGF went further by openly endorsing the party’s presidential and vice-presidential ticket, saying he was convinced the Obi–Kwankwaso partnership offered a credible alternative for the country. He added that he looked forward to May 29, 2027, expressing hope that the election would usher in what he described as a new chapter for future generations.

Receiving Lawal into the party, NDC National Leader Senator Seriake Dickson praised him as an experienced political mobiliser and activist whose influence extends across multiple political platforms. Dickson said Lawal would immediately assume a strategic leadership role in coordinating the party’s activities and campaigns across Nigeria’s North-East.

“On behalf of the national working committee and our candidates, Peter Obi and his running mate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, we welcome you,” Dickson said, adding that Lawal would provide guidance and direction to the party’s campaigns in the region.

Lawal’s move follows his resignation from the ADC in June, when he publicly criticized the party’s presidential primary. At the time, he alleged that the primary process had been manipulated in favour of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, claiming that results in some areas were altered to benefit Atiku and his supporters. Those allegations formed part of the reasons he gave for leaving the party.

His defection comes as the NDC accelerates preparations for the 2027 general elections, with Peter Obi already established as the party’s presidential candidate and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate. The addition of a prominent northern political figure like Lawal is expected to strengthen the party’s organizational structure, particularly in the North-East, as coalition politics continues to reshape Nigeria’s electoral landscape.

As political realignments gather momentum, Lawal’s entry into the NDC underscores a broader trend of shifting alliances ahead of 2027. Beyond the symbolism of another high-profile defection, the development highlights the growing importance of regional mobilization, coalition-building and party organization in the race for Nigeria’s highest office.