ABUJA, Nigeria — The media office of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has responded to recent remarks by former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, defending Atiku’s record on insecurity and accusing Lawal of attempting to distort public facts.
Okay News reports that the statement, signed by Atiku’s spokesman Paul Ibe on Sunday, rejected criticisms attributed to Lawal and described them as misleading. The Atiku camp also alleged that Lawal played a controversial role during the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary process, claims that were not accompanied by evidence in the statement.
The media office argued that Atiku has consistently condemned terrorist attacks, banditry, kidnappings and other violent crimes across Nigeria. According to the statement, the former vice president has repeatedly called for urgent reforms to the country’s security architecture and has criticized successive governments over their handling of insecurity.
The statement further highlighted several proposals previously advanced by Atiku, including support for stronger state-backed security initiatives, greater community intelligence gathering, a national support framework for victims of violence, and tougher penalties for individuals convicted of terrorism-related offences.
According to the Atiku camp, the former vice president has issued multiple public statements over the years condemning attacks in states including Benue, Plateau, Borno and Kaduna, while urging authorities to take decisive action against armed groups.
The response follows an ongoing war of words between both political figures ahead of preparations for the 2027 general election, with disagreements emerging over political strategy, security issues and developments within opposition circles.
Neither Babachir Lawal nor his representatives had publicly responded to the latest statement as of the time of filing this report.
