Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms and the resulting hardship will never be forgiven by the North.
This claim was made by Lawal, a former Tinubu ally who is now a critic, in an interview with Punch. It echoed worries expressed by Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, on growing unrest in the north.
Tinubu’s measures, which Lawal characterized as “nail-biting reforms,” have exacerbated poverty and economic distress throughout the region, and the North feels deceived by their effects.
Nasir El-Rufai recently warned that President Tinubu would experience a political uprising in 2027 such to that which befell Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, and Lawal’s remarks are consistent with his predictions.
An opinion by APC member Uche Diala titled “2027: South West, Tinubu’s supporters playing with fire – Part 1” was shared by El-Rufai via his verified X profile (previously Twitter).
The post implied that in the two years since taking office, Tinubu’s relations with the North had substantially worsened.
Speaking on behalf of the former governor, Lawal said, “There is broad agreement in the North that Bola Tinubu must step aside in the 2027 election. The consensus on this is undeniable. There is no dispute over that. Perhaps I wasn’t endorsing El-Rufai’s viewpoint. However, I’ll work with him on this one to see if we can prevent Bola Tinubu from winning the 2027 election. Because you know there will be a big camp for refugees if he does win.
Thus, that consensus exists. It’s clear to everyone that northern Nigeria would turn into one big refugee camp if we keep up these policies for another four years. It is generally agreed that we need to choose a different candidate for the sole sake of self-preservation.
Babachir said the state of origin of the candidate doesn’t matter, noting that the important thing is for the candidate to understand the need for one Nigeria.
He added, “Now, that is where quite a number of people think that it is only right to find someone who is patriotic and sees Nigeria as one, even if it’s from the South or the North. Some want it to come from the South while others are saying we cannot take the risk of bringing a southerner for self-preservation
alone. So, that is where the divergence is.
“But we all agree that we must look for a substitute for Bola Tinubu. Unfortunately, quite a lot of people like Ganduje and other northerners benefiting directly from this government are just irritants. They are people who are talking to justify their positions in this rogue government. So they are justifying their place in it not caring what the other parts of northern Nigeria are going through.
“So, if we can get a good southerner that can rule with equity, we are okay. It’s not actually about the elite consensus. It’s about the masses and what they are saying at the bottom. Even if some elite pretend to be supporting Bola, they will not vote for him because they are the ones at the receiving end of this thing. They are also the ones directing us, political elites of northern origin, to make sure this man doesn’t have a second chance.”
