A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has alleged that Labour Party’s Peter Obi, not incumbent President Bola Tinubu, won Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Lawal, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said he and his associates gathered independent data during the polls that, according to him, showed Obi had secured victory.
“Peter Obi won that election according to the true results. We had our agents and politicians in the field, we collected our own figures, and we could clearly see where the results were altered,” he stated.
However, Lawal cautioned that political dynamics had shifted since the 2023 vote. “Things have changed, and the criteria that applied in 2023 may not be the same in 2027. We will see when the time comes,” he added.
The former ruling party stalwart argued that power in 2027 should go to a leader who would give Nigerians “a sense of belonging and justice,” suggesting that northern political elites would back a candidate aligned with their interests, ideally from the ADC.
He expressed confidence that hardship caused by current government policies could propel the ADC to victory in the next general election. Lawal also stressed that resolving Nigeria’s security challenges required control of state “instruments of power and coercion” by someone who understood northern Nigeria’s unique problems.
Outlining political mobilisation efforts, Lawal revealed that the Nigerian People’s Consultative Political Forum (North) had been meeting to foster unity among northern politicians outside government, with the aim of voting as a bloc in 2027.
Reflecting on his removal from office during Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency, Lawal said it stemmed from his close relationship with the former president. On his relationship with Tinubu, he claimed: “He thinks I offended him; in reality, he offended me. He is full of himself.”
Asked if he would consider contesting future elections, Lawal dismissed the idea, joking: “Even my wife wouldn’t vote for me. I’m not electable.”
