Northern Governors Won’t Be Re-elected Unless They Join ADC, Threatens Babachir Lawal
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has warned that no elected official from Northern Nigeria seeking re-election in 2027 will succeed unless they defect to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Lawal, a former top APC figure and a vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, made the statement during an interview on Trust TV’s Sunday Politics.
He declared that the APC has not only failed to deliver on its promises but has also actively marginalized the northern region, leaving voters disillusioned and increasingly leaning toward the ADC as a political alternative.
“Which northern elected official will go to campaign on the platform of the APC this coming election? Nobody. Unless ab initio, you have no plan to win election. I can’t see anywhere,” Lawal said.
When asked specifically whether his assertion applies to governors currently serving their first term and eyeing re-election, Lawal was unequivocal: “Unless they join the ADC, they will not win… simply because they belong to a destructive party. A party that woefully failed to perform.”
He revealed that consultations are already underway between the ADC and some sitting governors in the North. While he did not name any individuals, Lawal insisted that the discussions were serious and that several governors have acknowledged the political risks of remaining within the APC fold.
According to him, the North has been short-changed under President Tinubu’s administration, especially in terms of infrastructure development.
“Every Nigerian that has anything to do with the North will know that no infrastructure work is going on at any level,” he said. “No projects are going on at least they are not visible to the eye. Maybe in their imagination, maybe in the spirit but we don’t see it.”
Lawal’s remarks echoed recent sentiments expressed by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and former Kano State governor, who also accused the Tinubu-led federal government of deliberately neglecting the North in critical development projects.
As political calculations begin to take shape ahead of the 2027 general election, Lawal’s bold assertions point to growing tensions within the northern political establishment and the potential emergence of the ADC as a formidable alternative in the region.
With the APC facing mounting criticism from both former allies and opposition figures, the coming months may prove pivotal in determining whether northern politicians remain loyal to the ruling party or heed Lawal’s call to defect a decision that could dramatically reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.
