Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has claimed that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari had reservations about Bola Tinubu’s candidacy ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
Lawal said Buhari’s concerns were rooted in his religious convictions and personal ethics, but that he eventually agreed to remain neutral and allow delegates to freely choose the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate.
He also predicted that Tinubu will fail in his bid for a second term in 2027, as he threw his weight behind the joint ticket of Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, which he believes would stand a far better chance of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress than if both politicians contest separately.
Lawal, a founding member of the APC who has since become one of Tinubu’s most vocal critics, made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.
Besides projecting the outcome of the next presidential election, the former SGF also disclosed details of Tinubu’s role in the formation of the APC, his financial contributions to Muhammadu Buhari’s successful 2015 presidential campaign, and the reasons the late former President declined to openly endorse Tinubu before the APC presidential primary in 2022.
