Tinubu banked roll APC's, 2015 victory but current administration has no direction - Babachir Lawal

Tinubu bank rolled key aspects of campaign that brought Buhari to power

Nigeria: Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has credited President Bola Tinubu with playing a central role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition coalition's successful 2015 presidential campaign, while simultaneously delivering a scathing assessment of his current administration.

Speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV released on Saturday, Lawal recounted his involvement in negotiations that led to the merger of opposition parties, saying he served as the link between the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu.

According to him, Buhari personally persuaded him to take on the responsibility because of his close relationship with Tinubu.

“I was in Dubai when you called me that I should come out because we want to do a merger with the ACN. And I told you, sir, this role you want me to play, I cannot play it… So Buhari said, you are the only one that can help us do this merger because Bola is your friend,” Lawal said.

Lawal revealed that Tinubu, despite nursing his own presidential ambition at the time, chose to prioritise the goal of unseating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“BD, you know my ambition to be president. But the way the country is going, the primary goal is to get rid of PDP. I will defer my ambition, put it aside until we achieve this goal.”

He also recalled the build-up to the APC presidential convention, where he said data showing Buhari's electoral strength in northern Nigeria convinced Tinubu to throw his weight behind the former military ruler's candidacy.

“I said, sir, look at it. I have this data… This man (Buhari), whether he is on the ballot or not, he normally gets 12 million votes from the north. So it required three more million votes… Sir, why not support your winning ticket?”

According to Lawal, Tinubu accepted the argument and persuaded key stakeholders within the party.

“He (Tinubu) saw the logic, persuaded them with the argument. And coming from Tinubu, of course… So at the last minute, around 4 a.m., they agreed that they were going to support Buhari.”

Lawal further claimed that Tinubu financed critical aspects of the 2015 campaign, including mobilising campaign funds and underwriting activities for then-vice presidential candidate Yemi Osinbajo, whose campaign operated largely independently to address concerns among Christian and southern voters.

“Through him (Tinubu), we were able to raise sufficient funds to do the campaign.

“Not only did he do that, Osinbajo’s portion of the campaign, he funded it, hired a chartered plane to fund the trip because Osinbajo’s campaign was a little bit broken away from the main campaign.”

He also alleged that Tinubu brought in American political consultants who significantly improved the campaign's strategy.

“Then I know of another place when he hired some consultants for us from the US, who were doing quite a lot of professional work. 

“I don’t know their names. I just know that they were Obama people, and they came and they transformed our campaign, and I knew that the money he paid them was in excess of two billion naira equivalent in dollars.”

Lawal described Tinubu as someone who routinely financed major campaign expenses from his personal resources rather than relying on campaign funds.

“And there’s another thing about Bola Tinubu: if there’s a need for an expenditure, no matter how massive, he doesn’t come to the campaign purse; he spends from his own purse. “All these things I told you. Some people don’t know this, but I was there, and I knew this. And he did all these things.”

He also praised Tinubu's generosity before he became president.

“Bola has given some people a stupendous amount of money to help them out of crisis that I know first-hand, without expecting anything. “He has a gift… He can see in you a future return for himself in advance.”

Despite those commendations, Lawal said the Tinubu administration has failed to meet expectations nearly three years into its tenure, accusing government officials of prioritising personal interests over the country's welfare. 

“The people running the government don’t seem to be people who love the country. They are people who love themselves. “Everybody is bitter that life is tough.”

Offering his personal assessment of the president, Lawal added: “Suddenly, I don’t know what has happened, he has lost his soul… Having come to this government, he has lost his soul.”

His remarks present a striking contrast, applauding Tinubu's role in building the APC and securing its historic 2015 electoral victory while expressing deep disappointment with the direction of his administration.