Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu played a central role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and financed critical aspects of the 2015 presidential campaign that brought former President Muhammadu Buhari to power.
Lawal, who served as SGF under Buhari, made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.
According to him, Buhari entrusted him with facilitating discussions between the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) because of his close relationship with Tinubu.
Lawal said he initially resisted the assignment over concerns about possible opposition from northern political figures but eventually accepted after Buhari insisted.
Recounting the conversation, he said Buhari told him he was the only person capable of helping to secure the merger because of his friendship with Tinubu.
He said he subsequently coordinated consultations among party leaders, helping to bring together opposition parties that eventually formed the APC with the aim of defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Lawal also claimed that Tinubu put aside his own presidential ambition at the time in support of the coalition.
According to him, Tinubu said his priority was to remove the PDP from power, adding that he was willing to defer his ambition until that objective had been achieved.
The former SGF further alleged that Tinubu played a decisive role during the APC presidential convention by persuading South-West delegates to support Buhari’s emergence as the party’s candidate.
He said after reviewing delegate numbers, he convinced Tinubu that Buhari’s strong northern support required backing from the South-West to secure victory.
Lawal also credited Tinubu with raising substantial funds for the APC campaign, claiming he personally financed former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s campaign activities, including chartering aircraft for campaign trips.
According to him, Osinbajo’s campaign operated somewhat independently because he needed to address concerns among Christians and some ethnic groups about Buhari’s candidacy.
He further alleged that Tinubu hired American political consultants, whom he described as associates of former United States President Barack Obama, to strengthen the APC’s campaign strategy, claiming the engagement cost more than ₦2 billion in dollar equivalent.
Lawal said Tinubu often paid for major campaign expenses from his personal resources rather than drawing from the campaign’s central funds.
He also described Tinubu as a generous politician before becoming president, claiming he had personally witnessed him provide significant financial assistance to people without expecting immediate rewards.
Despite the praise for Tinubu’s role before the 2015 election, Lawal said the President’s performance in office had fallen short of expectations.
He described the administration, after three years in office, as “a failure,” accusing those in government of prioritising personal interests over national development.
Lawal added that many Nigerians were struggling with economic hardship and claimed Tinubu had changed since assuming office, saying the President had “lost his soul.”
