Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has expressed his preference for President Bola Tinubu over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election. In an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast, Lawal explained that his decision was based on his previous experience working with Atiku. He claimed that although he had initially considered supporting Atiku, his experience eventually changed his mind.
Lawal's reservations about Atiku's bid to return to the presidency stem from his time working with the former vice president. He alleged that Atiku sometimes gave instructions that were later changed after consulting other people, leading to chaos. Lawal also linked this confusion to disagreements over political appointments, stating that decisions reached with Atiku could be altered after other people became involved.
The former SGF initially considered supporting Atiku due to the situation in northern Nigeria. He believed that the North should not surrender the presidency, especially given the worsening conditions in the region. However, his subsequent experience working with Atiku affected his assessment of the former vice president. Lawal's comments come weeks after he spoke publicly about his involvement in discussions between Atiku and Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 election.
Lawal had previously disclosed that Atiku sent him to persuade Obi to return to the political arrangement and accept the position of running mate on the African Democratic Congress platform. The proposal involved Atiku serving for four years, then pursuing a constitutional amendment for a single six-year presidential tenure, with presidential rotation starting from the South-East. However, Obi was not convinced by the proposal, citing his survey showing they were unlikely to win with Atiku.
Obi has disputed Lawal's account, denying that he had rejected an offer to become Atiku's running mate. Obi stated that he was not in a position where such an offer had been formally made to him. He also suggested that any possible opposition alliance should involve political parties rather than individual politicians. Atiku eventually secured the ADC presidential ticket, selecting Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
Lawal has since moved away from the ADC and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, publicly backing the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket. Although he has criticized Atiku strongly, his comments on Tinubu do not amount to an endorsement of the President's record in office. Rather, Lawal presented his choice as a comparison between the two politicians, based on his personal experience with Atiku.
Lawal's preference for Tinubu over Atiku was bluntly stated: "I'd rather go with Bola than Atiku because when Nigeria crashes with Bola, it might be an orderly crash, but with Atiku, it would be a chaotic one." He also described Atiku as "not a good man." The account highlights the ongoing dynamics in Nigeria's political landscape ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Key points
- Babachir Lawal prefers Tinubu over Atiku due to his chaotic experience working with the former vice president.
- Lawal's comments come weeks after he spoke publicly about his involvement in discussions between Atiku and Peter Obi.
- Obi has disputed Lawal's account of rejecting an offer to become Atiku's running mate.
