Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has claimed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be difficult to defeat if the outcome of the 2027 presidential election is determined by electoral manipulation.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Lawal argued that no politician currently possesses the capacity to outmaneuver Tinubu in what he described as the politics of election rigging.
Asked whether the president was already positioned for victory in 2027, Lawal responded: “Landslide. He’ll rig everybody.”
He further stated, “If the parameter for winning elections in Nigeria is rigging, nobody can face Bola Tinubu in this country. If Atiku’s strength is in manipulating results, I wish him luck; he will meet the master rigger in front.”
Lawal’s remarks came amid growing political realignments ahead of the next general election and shortly after his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The former SGF also took aim at former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, dismissing suggestions that he could support the ADC presidential candidate’s bid for the presidency.
According to Lawal, his reservations about Atiku are based on his assessment of the former vice president’s leadership record and political antecedents.
“I know Atiku. I have studied his antecedents and realised that his presidency will be worse than Bola Tinubu’s,” he said.
He added that he was unwilling to support any political project that could leave him with regrets, insisting that the kind of leadership Nigeria requires is not reflected in Atiku’s candidacy.
Lawal also criticised the former vice president for what he described as insufficient engagement with the country’s security challenges, including rising cases of killings and kidnappings across parts of Nigeria.
Despite his criticisms of both leading political figures, the former SGF said he has not thrown his weight behind any presidential aspirant for the 2027 election.
“I am supporting nobody. I don’t want to be part of anything for now,” he stated.
On his next political move following his resignation from the ADC, Lawal said he was still consulting and had not decided which platform, if any, he would join.
His comments followed his decision to leave the ADC, a move he announced on Monday while alleging that the party’s recent presidential primary was manipulated in favour of Atiku.
Lawal claimed that results from the exercise were altered to produce a predetermined outcome, alleging that even in areas where voting took place, successful candidates were replaced by individuals loyal to the former vice president.
He said those developments informed his decision to quit the party, describing the ADC as a “rigging machine” ahead of the 2027 elections.
The ADC leadership, however, has rejected the allegations and maintained that the primary election was conducted transparently and reflected the wishes of party members. Atiku was declared winner of the contest after defeating former Rotimi Amaechi governor and businessman Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
