All Governors Can Join APC, Coalition Targeting Upset In 2027 – Babachir Lawal
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has dismissed recent political moves by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that the mass endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term by APC governors is “irrelevant” to the realities of Nigeria’s political landscape.
Lawal, speaking in an interview with the Tribune, revealed that a coalition of opposition leaders—of which he is a key architect—is focused not on political officeholders, but on the millions of Nigerian voters who he says are disillusioned and ready for change.
On May 22, all 22 state governors elected under the APC banner endorsed President Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The endorsement, which was presented as a show of unity and strength within the party, has drawn mixed reactions, but Lawal was unequivocal in his criticism.
“Let them endorse themselves a thousand times over,” he said. “Let the governors continue to defect, we don’t care. If we wake up one morning and hear that all the 36 state governors and the FCT are in APC, we don’t care. It is immaterial.”
Dismissing the political influence of governors, he added, “They have only 37 votes; maybe we can add their families. Maybe you get a thousand votes. But the voter—the ordinary Nigerian—is what we are targeting, and the voter is the victim of the system we are against.”
Lawal, a one-time staunch ally of the ruling party, now stands in opposition to it and insists that the coalition he is working with is preparing to mount a serious challenge in the next election.
He expressed confidence that what they are building is not a temporary or desperate alliance but a credible political movement designed to unseat the APC government at the center.
“The coalition is very serious,” he affirmed. “We are not a group of disgruntled politicians looking for relevance. We are experienced, we are focused, and we know what we are doing. At the appropriate time, we will go public with our full plans.”
Rejecting claims that the group lacks visibility or momentum, Lawal said secrecy is part of the strategy.
“Whoever says we aren’t serious doesn’t know who the people are, because they don’t know who they are, because we don’t take photographs. We don’t take minutes of meetings,” he explained. “We take time to make sure that information on strategies doesn’t leak.”
Lawal also emphasized the personal sacrifices he has made to remain committed to the cause.
“I have been hooked up in this town for the past five months, participating in this coalition work. If I thought it wouldn’t succeed, I would be on my farm. I started farming since the season began, but I stayed back. So, I must be an idiot if I leave my most important vocation just to take coffee and snacks,” he said with a tone of conviction.
According to multiple sources, opposition figures are in advanced talks to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their political platform ahead of 2027. The party, seen as having less political baggage than older parties, is being considered for its neutrality and openness.
However, the coalition may be facing a potential roadblock. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, over the weekend declared his intention to run again under the Labour Party banner in 2027, signaling that he may not align with the coalition’s plans.
Still, Lawal remains undeterred.
“Peter Obi is a respected leader and has his followers, but we are building something that will transcend individual ambitions,” he said.
“We are putting the nation first, and anyone who shares that vision will find a place with us, whether now or later.”
All Governors Can Join APC, Coalition Targeting Upset In 2027 – Babachir Lawal is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
