Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal has offered fresh details about negotiations within Nigeria’s opposition coalition, claiming he personally persuaded Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to participate in the African Democratic Congress arrangement.
Lawal said both politicians had reservations about the presence and influence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and preferred a consensus arrangement for selecting the coalition’s presidential candidate.
Speaking during an interview with Arise Television, Lawal claimed Obi had initially been undecided about fully committing to the ADC coalition before his intervention.
He said he eventually persuaded the former Anambra State governor to commit to the political arrangement.
Lawal also said he was involved in negotiations with the New Nigeria Peoples Party and relied on his longstanding relationship with Kwankwaso to encourage the former Kano State governor to participate in the coalition.
According to him, one of the biggest challenges subsequently confronting the alliance was how to determine its presidential candidate.
Lawal claimed Kwankwaso was uncomfortable with Atiku’s involvement while Obi did not favour a primary contest against the former vice president.
He said Mohammed Hayatu Deen also preferred consensus, but disagreements persisted because the aspirants naturally wanted any consensus arrangement to favour their respective ambitions.
The inability to reach an agreement, according to Lawal, pushed the coalition towards the possibility of conducting a presidential primary.
He further claimed concerns emerged about whether the party possessed the financial resources and organizational capacity required to conduct a credible primary.
Lawal said Obi and Kwankwaso had by then developed a political understanding and were considering working together.
He also explained his eventual departure from the ADC, alleging irregularities surrounding internal congresses and party processes.
Lawal used the interview to revisit his relationship with President Bola Tinubu and the political events preceding the 2022 APC presidential primary.
He claimed that Tinubu approached him for support and that he played an important strategic role in the campaign that ultimately produced Tinubu as the APC presidential candidate.
Lawal also claimed former President Muhammadu Buhari had reservations about Tinubu at the time, although he rejected suggestions that Buhari actively attempted to prevent Tinubu from succeeding him.
According to Lawal, Buhari did not believe it was his responsibility to personally select his successor and eventually allowed the electoral process to proceed.
He said his own relationship with Tinubu later deteriorated over disagreements surrounding the selection of a running mate and leadership of the presidential campaign.
Lawal defended his movement across political platforms, insisting that his political involvement was motivated by his belief that an Obi and Kwankwaso partnership could offer Nigerians an alternative approach to governance.
