A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has described as a product of hemp smoking the purported suspension of himself and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Adamawa State.
The former SGF attributed the claim of his and Abubakar’s suspension to a faction of the opposition party in his home state, Adamawa State.
Lawal, who serves as the North-East Vice Chairman of the coalition-backed ADC, stated that the purported suspension should be disregarded, arguing that the group responsible was not composed of “normal people” due to alleged drug influence.
He was reacting to an announcement by a factional ADC chairman in Adamawa State, Raji Zumo, who declared the suspension of Atiku, Lawal, and the party’s transition committee chairman, Sadiq Ibrahim, during a press conference on Monday.
PUNCH reports that Lawal ridiculed the claim, saying it should not be taken seriously.
“If some people take heavy Indian hemp, they can claim to be President of Nigeria, so don’t consider them as normal people. Indian hemp is on duty,” he said.
He further questioned Zumo’s authority within the party, insisting that the factional figure lacked any legitimate standing to speak on behalf of the ADC.
“Raji’s actions demonstrated the power of Indian hemp against our young men. What is his position in the party in Adamawa State, if not the influence of drugs?” Lawal added.
Also speaking, the Adamawa State Chairman of the ADC, Mr Shehu Yohanna, said the statement credited to Raji was not only baseless but also insisted that he had left the party long ago.
“Raji was my deputy, before he disappeared to an unknown place, only for him to resurface on social media on Monday, suspending our father, Atiku Abubakar,” he said.
The development comes amid an ongoing leadership dispute within the ADC at the national level.
A faction of the party led by Nafiu Bala Gombe is laying claim to the position of national chairman of the ADC.
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An Adamawa State High Court had, on Thursday, suspended the ADC congresses in the state.
Justice Ahmed Isa of Yola High Court No. 6, who presided over the case, ordered the suspension of the congresses slated for Thursday until the determination of the case.
The case, filed by Yohanna, challenges his alleged exclusion from the planning of the congresses.
He dragged Sadiq Dasin, the state chairman of the ADC transition committee, to court.
The judge adjourned the matter to April 15, 2026, for continuation of hearing.
However, Lawal distanced himself from the court proceedings, claiming ignorance of the development.
“I am in Abuja, so I don’t know about the case. Go and ask those that were in court today. I don’t know anything concerning the court case,” he said.
These developments coincide with a broader leadership crisis within the Adamawa ADC, which currently features multiple factions competing for control, further deepening internal divisions ahead of future political engagements.
