Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has revealed that several governors and senior members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are quietly supporting the opposition coalition in its bid to unseat the ruling party in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Beyond the Headlines, a programme aired on TVC News, Lawal claimed that although these figures have not publicly declared their allegiance, they are aligned with the coalition’s mission to bring about political change.
“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 said.
Lawal, who formally resigned from the APC on June 29, stated that he had long grown disillusioned with the party, accusing it of suppressing dissent and lacking internal cohesion.
“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,” he said.
Referencing Rivers State’s Minister, Nyesom Wike, Lawal said he learned the political art of staying in one party while working for another from APC itself.
“I’m learning a template from APC: this template of remaining in one party and working for another. This is a script APC developed, which Wike has enhanced and grown beyond imagination. Wike is our leader in this type of politics,” he added.
He also argued that many former allies of President Bola Tinubu had become disillusioned with his leadership style and were now seeking an alternative platform to “serve Nigerians better.”
“A lot of us are people whose primary aim is to replace this government with a better government that serves Nigerians better,” Lawal said. “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.”
On recent defections into the APC, Lawal dismissed them as opportunistic moves by governors looking to secure their political futures rather than as signs of genuine popularity.
“It’s true the governors are decamping. Why are they decamping to the APC? Because they know the president has given himself an automatic ticket… the governors are moving, but nobody is moving with them; the people are not,” he said.
Dismissing claims that the coalition is centered around former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Lawal clarified that it is a unified effort built on strategic collaboration among various political heavyweights.
“The coalition is not about Atiku. I’ve attended meetings tilted towards Obi, Atiku, and Amaechi. Atiku has never spoken in all our meetings, except the last meeting, where he was asked to speak.
“Before we started the coalition, we told everybody that has political ambition to lock it down in a cupboard. Because the understanding is that no one person can defeat an incumbent government,” he explained.
He maintained that all the key figures—including Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Atiku—recognise that only a united opposition stands a chance against the ruling APC.
“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.”
