Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has claimed that some governors and prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are covertly supporting an opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on TVC News’ ‘Beyond the Headlines’ on Tuesday, Lawal, who served under former President Muhammadu Buhari, stated that while these individuals haven’t publicly declared their stance, they believe in the coalition’s objective to unseat the current government.
“Yes, there are [APC members working with the coalition], and they will speak for themselves. Some might not be brave or bold enough to do it the way I have, but there are very many, some tell me, including some governors,”he revealed.
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Lawal, who resigned from the ruling party on June 29, asserted that he had been working against the APC from within for an extended period due to the party’s perceived atmosphere of intimidation and suppression of free speech. He criticized the APC’s template of members working for other parties while remaining ostensibly loyal, referencing the actions of Nyesom Wike as an example.
“The APC has never been united; it’s been a party that has been intimidated and bullied into silence. No internal cohesion; you cannot even advise. Even advice is taken as anti-party. So, many people got frustrated that you cannot talk truth to power in APC,” he explained.
He added that many who previously supported President Bola Tinubu are now disillusioned and seek a better alternative. “A lot of us are people whose primary aim is to replace this government with a better government that serves Nigerians better… There’s nothing wrong if people who were hitherto in APC, allies of Tinubu, have been disappointed in the way he has chosen to run his government or allow others to run his government. There’s nothing wrong if we decide to come together to make a change,” Lawal stated.
Lawal also ridiculed the recent influx of politicians joining the APC, suggesting that most are merely attempting to safeguard their political careers. He implied that these governors are joining the APC because they believe the president has secured an automatic ticket, precluding primaries or other candidates.
“Most of the governors understand that this government is a government that wrote results to become what they are. So, they can write you out even in your own convention in an opposition party. So, all these governors are moving to APC to secure their next elections. However, the governors are moving, but nobody is moving with them; the people are not,” he claimed.
Furthermore, Lawal clarified that the opposition coalition is not solely led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, but is rather a collaborative effort involving various political figures aimed at ousting the ruling party. He noted that in their meetings, all individuals with political ambitions were asked to set them aside, as the understanding is that no single person can defeat an incumbent government.
“Peter Obi understands that with his Obedient movement, he cannot win this election on a standalone basis. Ameachi understands, and Atiku too; we must have a coalition, get together, join forces, join ideas, and work to defeat this government,” Lawal concluded.
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