Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has claimed President Bola Tinubu is unsettled by the formation of an emerging opposition coalition led by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, ahead of the 2027 general election.
In an interview with Punch, Lawal alleged that the Presidency is deeply concerned about the growing momentum of the opposition alliance and has been actively seeking ways to disrupt it.
Naija News reports that Lawal’s statement comes amid rising speculation about a potential political realignment within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly involving factions from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), which merged with other parties to form the APC in 2013.
There has been growing concern following the defection of some CPC-aligned members to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), further fueling speculation of an impending split in the ruling party.
In late April, Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai led a delegation to meet with former President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna.
Though the visit was officially described as a post-Sallah courtesy call, many observers viewed it as a strategic move to secure Buhari’s support for the new opposition coalition.
Other prominent members of the delegation included former Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa), and Achike Udenwa (Imo).
Despite repeated dismissals by the Presidency and the APC regarding the coalition’s strength, Lawal insists that the growing political force of the opposition privately rattles Tinubu and his allies.
“This political party we are forming — most of those comments about Tinubu being unbeatable — are like people peering through tinted glass and assuming they know what’s happening inside.
“Tinubu knows we can defeat him. Even those around him who are sincere know he’s an endangered species in terms of the 2027 Presidency. We still hear what they say behind closed doors. There’s panic,” Lawal said.
Lawal further pointed to the alleged censorship of anti-government songs as evidence of the administration’s insecurity. He specifically mentioned the banning of songs by popular Nigerian musician Idris Abdulkareem, calling it a sign of “insecure people frightened even by small things.”
“They’ve gone bananas out of desperation. A scared man has no rules of engagement,” Lawal added.
Lawal also emphasised that Atiku, El-Rufai, and other members of the opposition coalition are well-acquainted with Tinubu’s political strategies, having worked closely with him in the past.
“We’ve stayed together before. If people still say I was the one sent to buy Tinubu’s presidential election form, then it means we know each other well.
“Atiku and Rauf Aregbesola were once political allies of Tinubu too. We know the methods used in Nigeria to win elections — and the tactics used to make the opposition lose,” he said.
However, the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, dismissed the threat posed by the opposition coalition, calling it a gathering of “internally displaced politicians.”
In a phone conversation with Punch, Basiru stated, “There is no coalition. It’s a figment of the imagination of some individuals who think they are important. It’s just an association of internally displaced politicians.”