Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, offered an explosive insight into his recent defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his new alliance with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Lawal, once an influential insider in APC, confirmed his commitment to the coalition seeking to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Lawal, who made his resignation from APC official on June 29, revealed on Beyond The Headlines with Nifemi Oguntoye on Tuesday, that his support for the opposition coalition had long predated his formal exit. “We learned from APC itself,” he explained. “They created the template of remaining in a party but working for another. I simply applied their own strategy.”
He boldly claimed that many within the APC were still secretly supporting the coalition but lacked the courage to do so publicly. “There are many of them,” he said. “Some are governors. They are only quiet because they fear retaliation.”
Lawal decried the APC as a party that stifled dissent and bullied its members into silence. He cited the culture of intimidation as the primary reason why he, along with many others, had abandoned the party. “Even advice is treated as anti-party activity,” he stated.
When asked whether the coalition was merely an anti-Tinubu movement with no credible alternative plan, Lawal defended the alliance as a platform for delivering better governance. “There is nothing wrong with former APC allies joining forces to remove a government they believe is failing Nigerians,” he asserted.
He also addressed criticisms that he had opposed Tinubu even before his presidency began due to the controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket. Lawal argued that his early warnings have since been validated. “I was prophetic,” he said. “The moment they adopted that ticket, I knew the government would fail.”
Lawal pushed back against claims that the coalition was merely a repackaged People’s Democratic Party (PDP) project. He described it as a genuine cross-party alliance involving Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and others, with himself aligned with Obi’s faction.
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He stressed that all coalition members agreed to set aside personal ambitions to focus on unseating the APC. According to him, every major player, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, accepted that unity was the only path forward.
The former SGF also tackled concerns about the coalition’s internal stability, revealing that all contenders had agreed to support whoever emerged as the consensus candidate.
When asked about his past corruption trial, Lawal downplayed its relevance to his current political activities, noting his 2022 acquittal and maintaining that his relationship with former President Muhammadu Buhari remained cordial.
However, he was firm in rejecting any suggestion that Buhari was involved in the coalition. “Buhari has no hand in this coalition,” he insisted. “If I ever find out he does, I will personally ask him to withdraw.”
Lawal reaffirmed his independence and vowed to continue his political fight regardless of endorsements or opposition. “My conscience guides me,” he declared. “I don’t need anyone’s approval to do the right thing for my country.”
