Babachir Lawal defects to NDC, backs Obi-Kwankwaso ticket

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), further deepening the wave of opposition realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Lawal announced his move on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, following a meeting with NDC National Leader and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Seriake Dickson, at Dickson’s Abuja residence.

His defection comes months after he resigned from the ADC on June 1, citing the emergence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate.

Lawal had previously indicated that he would support a Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket if the two opposition figures returned from what he described as their political sabbatical.

Obi and Kwankwaso subsequently joined the NDC in May 2026. The party later formally adopted Obi as its presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 election.

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Lawal, who backed Obi during the 2023 presidential election when the former Anambra State governor contested under the Labour Party, said his decision to join the NDC was motivated by his concerns over Nigeria’s current challenges.

Speaking after being received into the party, the former SGF said Nigerians concerned about insecurity, hunger, ignorance and disease would have reasons to support a political platform offering what he described as a different direction for the country.

He specifically endorsed the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket and said he intended to work with the NDC towards its success in the 2027 election.

The development adds Lawal to the growing list of prominent politicians who have moved into the NDC following political realignments within the opposition camp.

The NDC has in recent months attracted several prominent opposition figures, including Obi and Kwankwaso, as well as lawmakers who have defected from other parties.

The party’s emergence as a major opposition platform has been closely linked to the political movement around the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket. In May, the NDC formally ratified Obi as its presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as his running mate.

Lawal’s latest move is therefore likely to further shape the opposition’s political calculations as parties and politicians position themselves for the 2027 elections.

His defection also comes at a time of renewed activity within the NDC. The party recently distanced itself from a campaign council announced by the OK Movement, stressing that the structure was not authorised by the party.

With the 2027 election approaching, Lawal’s entry adds another prominent political figure to the NDC’s expanding coalition, while his explicit support for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket underscores the continuing realignment of opposition politicians around the party.