Ex-president Buhari
ABUJA — Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has accused loyalists of President Bola Tinubu and some chieftains of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) of betraying the party’s founding ideology, stating that their attempts to court former President Muhammadu Buhari are futile and misguided.
Lawal said those who still claim to be CPC faithful but support what he described as a “pain-inducing and anti-poor” administration are chasing shadows. He warned that genuine CPC members will resist the current trajectory of governance, which, according to him, has brought suffering and marginalisation to the masses.
“These guys have given us a reason to come against them because the CPC is a Talakawa (common people) movement. It’s a movement rooted in protecting the poor and vulnerable,” Lawal said. “This government, by contrast, seems to have adopted hardship as a policy. It’s as if the very sight of a poor person annoys them.”
He stressed that the original CPC was never about power for its own sake but about championing social justice, equity, and service to the disenfranchised—values which he claimed the Tinubu administration has abandoned.
When asked whether the coalition of opposition figures he belongs to—including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai—had secured Buhari’s blessing, Lawal dismissed the idea as irrelevant.
“We don’t need Buhari’s blessing. We are adults. Even if he offered to join us, we would politely ask him to stay out. He’s part of this government and must own that legacy,” he said.
Lawal, who was a founding member of the now-defunct CPC and once an ally of Tinubu, is a vocal advocate of a proposed merger among opposition parties. According to him, discussions have been finalised and the movement is on track ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reacting to recent comments by former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu—who called the CPC a “dead horse” and dismissed Lawal and others as “mischief makers”—Lawal fired back, labeling Shittu and others as “black sheep” who never fully embraced the ideology of the CPC.
“We know that not everyone can endure hunger or injustice. Some people joined the CPC for personal gain. They were never truly part of the movement at heart,” Lawal said. “There are still positions available in this government—ambassadorships, board appointments, maybe even a cabinet reshuffle. Those who are after personal benefits can go ahead and fight for them.”
Attempts to get reactions from former Attorney General Abubakar Malami and ex-Nasarawa Governor Tanko Al-Makura were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered as of press time.
As political realignments continue ahead of 2027, Lawal’s remarks signal deepening rifts within the APC’s founding factions and set the tone for what could be a turbulent political season.
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