Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has declared that northern political office holders may have no path to re-election in 2027 unless they abandon the All Progressives Congress (APC) and align with the emerging opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking during an interview in a TV programme recently, Lawal criticised the ruling APC for what he described as systemic failure and marginalisation of the North, especially in infrastructure development.
He stressed that the party’s poor performance has eroded its political goodwill in the region.
“I don’t see any northern elected official campaigning under the APC in the next election. If they truly want to win, they must join the ADC. The APC has failed the North,” Lawal asserted.
He further alleged that the federal government has neglected the North in terms of visible developmental projects.
“There’s nothing happening. No roads, no infrastructure — not even signs of federal presence,” he said.
The former SGF also backed recent comments made by former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on the neglect of the North under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to Lawal, both he and Kwankwaso, being technocrats, are well-positioned to assess the physical state of development in the region.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has clarified the objective of the new opposition coalition, explaining that its formation is to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy from what he termed growing authoritarianism under the APC.
Atiku emphasised that the coalition is not about individual ambitions but a broader mission to restore the integrity of the democratic process.
“This is not an anti-Tinubu campaign but a pro-Nigeria movement,” he noted.
There are growing speculations of possible internal rivalry within the coalition as political heavyweights such as Atiku, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai are rumoured to be eyeing the presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 polls.