By Abdullahi Inuwa
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has disclosed that he played a key role in bringing former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.
Lawal, who made the disclosure while speaking on the opposition coalition and the political developments ahead of the 2027 general elections, also revealed that efforts were made to persuade former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to join the ADC.
According to him, he personally worked to bring Obi into the political arrangement but later became concerned about the former Labour Party presidential candidate’s level of commitment to the ADC platform.
Lawal further said that Kwankwaso was also approached to become part of the coalition but remained hesitant because of the presence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
“We also convinced Kwankwaso to join the ADC, but he was always afraid that with Atiku there, nothing good would ever come out of the ADC,” Lawal said.
The disclosure comes amid continuing realignments among opposition political figures ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The ADC had emerged as a platform for a coalition involving several prominent opposition figures, including Atiku, Obi and other political leaders. The coalition was subsequently rocked by disagreements over its direction, leadership and political calculations.
Lawal has since moved away from the ADC and aligned with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where he has publicly backed the Obi-Kwankwaso political ticket.
The former SGF had also previously spoken about the efforts made by the coalition to accommodate Obi, including arrangements that, according to him, gave the former Anambra governor room to influence the party structure.
His latest comments have further brought to the fore the behind-the-scenes negotiations that preceded the opposition realignment and the difficulties involved in bringing major political personalities under one platform.
However, some aspects of Lawal’s account have been disputed by Obi. The former Anambra governor has challenged claims attributed to Lawal concerning proposals allegedly made to him, maintaining that he could not have rejected an offer that was never presented to him.
The exchanges have added to the public debate over the evolution of the opposition coalition and the political negotiations involving Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso and other major figures as the 2027 elections draw closer.
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