Tinubu’s Presidency Ethnically Exclusive, I Couldn’t Have Served Under it, Says Lawal, Ex-SGF

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has ruled out any possibility of working under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating he would have resigned if appointed to any position in the current administration. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Lawal said his principles and convictions would not allow him to function in what he described as an “ethnically exclusive” government. “If I were in this government, I probably would have been sacked a long time ago, killed, or I would have resigned. I’m grateful I was never part of it from the beginning,” he said. Lawal accused the administration of favouring individuals from the South-West in key appointments, alleging that some government meetings are conducted in Yoruba, leaving non-Yoruba officials sidelined. “The Yoruba people around the President behave as if they have conquered Nigeria. Meetings are conducted in Yoruba; you just sit there without knowing what’s being discussed,” he alleged. The former SGF also criticised the government’s performance in the North, describing the region as a “huge refugee camp” plagued by poverty and a lack of visible federal projects. He claimed his warnings during the 2023 campaign about alienating northern supporters were ignored. Lawal, a one-time political ally of Tinubu, has been a consistent critic of the administration in recent months. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has previously dismissed his comments as politically motivated, accusing him of being aggrieved over not being chosen as vice president—an allegation he denies. His latest remarks are expected to further fuel debates over ethnic inclusivity and governance style within the Tinubu administration.