Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has dismissed the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being adopted as the platform for the much-anticipated opposition coalition, describing the party as having an “incurable virus.”
Lawal made the statement during an interview on Arise News TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ on Wednesday, where he addressed the ongoing discussions surrounding the formation of a united front by opposition parties against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We are getting to the end of the process and we will soon announce the party that will lead, or register a new party,” Lawal revealed. “Nigerians are anxious, and since we are here to serve the people, we are speeding up the process to reduce the tension among ourselves.”
When asked about the possibility of PDP being used as the coalition’s platform, Lawal was unequivocal in his response.
“I can tell you in all the analysis so far, nobody has said anything about adopting PDP as the platform,” he said. “We have all agreed that PDP has an incurable virus, no antibiotics can cure what is ailing PDP. We don’t want to go into a house that cannot be modified, so PDP is not in that list.”
Lawal’s comments came amidst a series of high-profile meetings among political stakeholders aimed at forming a credible alternative to the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s involvement in the coalition talks, Lawal acknowledged his political stature and role in the ongoing process.
“First of all, we are from the same state. He is also an elder statesman and an eminent politician. To that extent, I have great respect for him,” Lawal stated.
Addressing Atiku’s ambition, he added, “To his political ambition, he is entitled to it, just as every Nigerian is entitled to it. It is not for me to decide which platform Atiku will contest or if he will contest at all, that is left for him and his inner circle.”
However, Lawal confirmed Atiku’s active participation in the coalition-building efforts.
“I can confirm that I have run into Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at most of the political meetings we have had in respect to the merger or new political platform, so he is an active participant in the need for opposition parties to form one strong opposition party.
“Whether he will contest on that platform or not is not the issue. We have a team that will analyse all the political parties we could adapt and make it suitable for competitiveness.
“Atiku has presented himself at every such meeting, and what I can say is that he is committed to the cause,” Lawal said.