I’d Rather Support Tinubu Than Atiku, Says Babachir Lawal

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has said he would prefer to support President Bola Tinubu over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Lawal said an Atiku presidency could result in what he described as a “chaotic” crash, while arguing that a similar outcome under Tinubu would be more orderly.

The former SGF made the comments during an interview on the Naija Unfiltered Podcast while explaining his opposition to Atiku’s presidential ambition.

“I’d rather go with Bola than Atiku because when Nigeria crashes with Bola, it might be an orderly crash, but with Atiku it would be a chaotic one,” Lawal said.

Asked why he held that view, Lawal responded, “Because he’s not a good man.”

Lawal said his assessment was shaped by his previous experience working with Atiku, although he initially considered supporting the former vice president because of what he described as the worsening situation in northern Nigeria.

“I wanted to work for Atiku. I had the belief that the North, the way we are suffering, we should not surrender the presidency, that at least our own man will not, if nothing else, stop the decline we are in,” he said.

He, however, said his experience working with Atiku changed his position, alleging that the former vice president would sometimes issue instructions that were later reversed after consultations with other people.

“Everything you do with him, there’s chaos,” Lawal said.

“He will call you and tell you, ‘Do this,’ and then you do it, then front you are back.”

Lawal also alleged that disagreements over political appointments contributed to what he described as confusion, claiming that decisions reached with Atiku were sometimes changed following interventions by others.

The former SGF further disclosed that Atiku had previously asked him to approach former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi about accepting a running-mate position ahead of the 2027 election.

According to Lawal, Atiku proposed serving one term before pursuing a constitutional amendment that would establish a single six-year presidential term. He also said Atiku proposed that presidential rotation would subsequently begin with the South-East and North-Central zones.

Lawal said he approached Obi because of his relationship with the former Anambra governor, but that Obi rejected the proposed arrangement.

“He says his survey shows him that they are unlikely to win if he pairs with Atiku,” Lawal quoted Obi as saying.

According to Lawal, Obi subsequently indicated that he would rather not contest than join a ticket he believed would lose.

Lawal said he later conveyed Obi’s position to Atiku and consulted prominent Igbo figures in an effort to persuade the former Anambra governor, but the effort did not succeed.

The comments come amid continuing discussions among opposition figures over possible alliances ahead of the 2027 presidential election.