In a bold and pointed intervention, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to be swayed by recent endorsements from former governors Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa State, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, and other members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, Lawal, a founding member of the CPC and a long-time ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, declared that many genuine members of the CPC bloc were not in support of Tinubu’s re-election and were instead aligning with a broader coalition aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2027.
“I consider myself one of the leading lights of the CPC from day one, even before the party was registered. We were Buhari people. I was with him in APP, ANPP, and CPC. I understand the spirit of the party,” Lawal said, affirming his loyalty to the original ideals of the CPC.
He disclosed his full commitment to forming a new political platform to challenge the APC’s grip on power. “I am one of those who, for obvious reasons, want to form a party to challenge this APC government. I am fully committed 100 percent. I attend all the meetings and have an eminent position in the group that we are forming,” he revealed.
His remarks come on the heels of growing speculation about a potential mass defection from the APC by former CPC stalwarts, with some reports suggesting a possible shift to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) or the formation of a new mega party.
These speculations gained traction after former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai hinted that he had received Buhari’s blessing to leave the APC, followed by a strategic meeting between former President Buhari, PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, and other opposition leaders in Kaduna.
However, in a swift counter-move, Al-Makura, Masari, and 21 other CPC chieftains held a meeting in Abuja where they pledged allegiance to President Tinubu, dismissing defection reports as “misleading, baseless, and mischievous.”
But Babachir Lawal was unimpressed, describing the show of loyalty as a ploy to deceive Tinubu. “The genuine chieftains of the CPC bloc understand that the coalition is a talakawa movement that has the interest and feelings of the lower class at heart—an ideology Buhari and his devoted followers have sworn to protect,” he said.
Warning that the 2027 election will be no walk in the park, Lawal pointed to the growing hardship and hunger under Tinubu’s administration. “This government has made the majority of Nigerians hungry. Not everybody can withstand hunger,” he said, accusing certain CPC and APC members of chasing personal gain rather than true service.
Lawal’s candid remarks have thrown a spotlight on the deepening cracks within the APC and signaled that the race for 2027 might already be underway—starting with the battle for the soul of the CPC legacy.