Babachir David Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and one-time close ally of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has revealed that several influential figures within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)—including some state governors—are quietly aligning themselves with an opposition coalition in a bid to oust the current administration in the 2027 general elections.
IREPORT247NEWS reports that Lawal, who had long been an active member and leader in the APC, on Monday formally announced his resignation from the party in a letter dated June 29, 2024.
Addressed to the APC chairman in Bangshika Ward, Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, the letter confirmed that his exit from the party would take immediate effect. He hinted that details about his next political destination would be unveiled in due course.
His departure marked the end of a long and turbulent relationship with the APC. Lawal, a former National Vice Chairman (Northeast) of the party, began drifting away from its leadership following a series of ideological disagreements—most notably over the party’s controversial Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.
He was one of the prominent voices who vehemently criticized the decision to field Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, both Muslims, as the APC’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Read here.
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Speaking during an interview on Beyond the Headlines, aired Tuesday on TVC News, Lawal stated that although many APC members have not publicly declared their allegiance to the coalition, a significant number are already involved behind the scenes.
“There are APC members who are quietly working with the opposition coalition,” he said.
“They may not be bold enough to speak out like I have, but many of them have personally reached out to me—including serving governors. They believe in the coalition’s mission to dislodge this underperforming government.”
He explained that the practice of staying in one party while supporting another is not new and was, in fact, introduced and perfected by the APC.
“We’re in a democracy. Even if you belong to one political party, you still have the right to support a better candidate from another. This is a political model that originated within the APC itself. Look at Wike—he’s now the grandmaster of this style of politics,” Lawal asserted.
He went on to describe the APC as a deeply fragmented and repressive political platform. “The APC has never operated as a unified party. It is a party where dissent is punished, where genuine advice is treated as anti-party activity, and where internal dialogue is suppressed. Many of us became disillusioned because you cannot speak truth to power within the APC structure.”
Expanding on the rationale behind the growing opposition coalition, Lawal said the initiative is not about promoting individual political ambitions but about building a national movement to reclaim governance.
“Many of us share a common purpose: to replace this government with one that truly serves Nigerians. This goal cannot be achieved by one person or one political group alone. It requires collective effort, policies, governance reforms, and leadership that puts the people first,” he said.
He further dismissed speculations that the coalition is centered around any single presidential hopeful.
“It’s not about Atiku. I’ve attended coalition meetings that included supporters of Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and Rotimi Amaechi. Atiku himself has mostly remained silent in these meetings—except for the most recent one, where he was specifically asked to speak,” Lawal clarified.
According to him, all those involved in the coalition understand the need to set aside personal ambition in the interest of national rescue.
“Before we launched the coalition, we agreed that everyone with presidential ambition must keep it locked away. The understanding is clear—no one individual can defeat an incumbent government alone.”
He continued, “Peter Obi knows that, even with the strength of the Obedient Movement, he cannot win on his own. Amaechi knows it too. Atiku understands. What we need is unity—a merger of forces, ideas, and political capital to take on this government.”
Commenting on the current political realignment taking place across the country, Lawal noted that many governors are defecting to the APC—not out of conviction, but out of desperation to secure their political futures.
“It’s true that governors are decamping. But why are they moving to APC? Because they know that President Tinubu has already secured the APC ticket for 2027. There will be no primaries. No other candidate will even be allowed to challenge him,” he said.
He alleged that the same tactics used to rig elections and impose candidates within the APC are now being deployed to intimidate opposition elements.
“Most of these governors understand that this is a government that manipulated election results to seize power. They know it can happen again—even at their own party conventions. That’s why they’re scrambling to join the APC.”
However, Lawal insisted that these defections are cosmetic and do not reflect public sentiment. “The people are not following the governors. The masses are not moving with them. It’s just political survival for the elites—not a movement of the people.”
Lawal reiterated that the coalition remains committed to building a broad-based alternative that can challenge the dominance of the APC and offer Nigerians genuine hope.
“We are not interested in another personality cult. This coalition is about rescuing Nigeria. We are assembling leaders who understand that national interest must come first.”