Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms have caused hardship in the North, which the North will never forgive.
In an interview with Punch, Lawal, a former Tinubu ally who is now a critic, made this claim, echoing worries expressed by Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, on growing unrest in the north.
Lawal claims that Tinubu’s policies, which he called “nail-biting reforms,” have exacerbated poverty and economic distress throughout the region, and that the North feels deceived by their effects.
Lawal’s remarks are in line with previous cautions from Nasir El-Rufai, who stated that a political uprising akin to that which befell Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 might occur under President Tinubu in 2027.
El-Rufai posted an opinion by APC member Uche Diala titled “2027: South West, Tinubu’s supporters playing with fire – Part 1” via his verified X profile (previously Twitter).
According to the article, throughout his two years in office, Tinubu’s relations with the North have substantially worsened.
Read Also: 10 Things You Need To Know About ‘AccessGive PLATFORM’
“The North is seriously mobilizing with a consensus that Bola Tinubu must give way in the 2027 election,” Lawal said, addressing the former governor’s position. Regarding the consensus, there is no question. Regarding that, there is no disagreement. I might not have been in favor of El-Rufai’s viewpoint. I’ll accompany him on this one, though, to see if we can prevent Bola Tinubu from winning the 2027 election. Because there will be a sizable refugee camp if he does win.
Thus, there is that agreement. Everyone is aware that northern Nigeria would turn into a single, sizable refugee camp if these practices are maintained for an additional four years. Therefore, everyone agrees that we need to choose a different candidate for the sole sake of self-preservation.
Babachir stated that the candidate’s state of origin is irrelevant, emphasizing that what matters is that the candidate comprehends the necessity of a single Nigeria.
He went on, “Now, that’s where a lot of people believe that finding someone who is patriotic and views Nigeria as one, whether they’re from the North or the South, is only appropriate. While some argue that we cannot risk introducing a Southerner for self-preservation alone, others prefer that it come from the South. Thus, the divergence lies there.
However, we all concur that we need to find someone to replace Bola Tinubu. Regretfully, many of the northerners who directly benefit from this government, including Ganduje, are only annoyances. These individuals are speaking in order to defend their places inside this rogue administration. As a result, they are defending their position while ignoring the suffering of other northern Nigerian regions.
Therefore, we will be alright if we can find a decent Southerner who can govern with equality. Actually, it has nothing to do with the consensus of the elite. What the people are saying at the bottom is what matters. Since they stand to lose from this, some elites will not vote for Bola even if they appear to be in favor of him. They are also in charge of guiding us northern-born political elites to ensure that this man is denied another chance.
