Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has warned that unless President Bola Tinubu retraces his steps and appeases the North, he may struggle to secure re-election in 2027.
In recent weeks, opposition to Tinubu’s second-term bid has intensified, with mounting pressure from Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and several northern political figures.
Their grievances were further aggravated by a statement from the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, cautioning northern politicians against contesting for the presidency in 2027.
However, in an exclusive interview, Lawal—once an ally of Tinubu but now a critic—argued that the North would not forgive the President for the hardships caused by his economic reforms.
“Let him run a good programme that will remove the poverty in the land. It’s not about him but his bad policies. They are throwing every Nigerian, and particularly the North, into distress. Let him make good policies. Let him listen,” Lawal stated.
Lawal accused the administration of suppressing dissent and silencing critics in the North, further deepening regional frustrations.
“Unfortunately, when they give them a piece of advice, they will release their attack dogs and even his information managers to go after you. The right to even dissent is now a crime in northern Nigeria. He’s locking up all our boys that are publicly complaining about his policies. So, all these things also add to the tension in the North,” he said.
Despite increasing criticisms, Lawal suggested that Tinubu still had a chance to regain public trust—if he reversed the economic decline and listened to Nigerians.
“If Tinubu were to change and Nigerians are happy, we will hail him. When you do the right thing, and Nigerians are happy, nobody will bother about how he came to the government. Now, he is rigging the lives of our people from existence,” he added.
Asked about growing speculations that Tinubu might face the same fate as former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2027, Lawal appeared confident that history could repeat itself.
“As for the Goodluck Jonathan treatment, it is possible because they have a lot of money and possibly think they can use it to buy the votes and win the elections. Goodluck tried it by spending a lot of money, people collected the money and promised him they would deliver the votes. But they stayed at home and still didn’t vote,” he recounted.
According to him, the North’s voting pattern has always been decisive, and once a consensus is reached, no amount of inducement can alter the outcome.
“That was why you noticed that not many people came out and publicly campaigned for Goodluck Jonathan. So, we are also at that point. 2027 is going to be very interesting,” he concluded.
