Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has said President Bola Tinubu played a major role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and personally financed key parts of the 2015 presidential campaign that brought former President Muhammadu Buhari to power.
Lawal made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.
According to him, Buhari chose him to serve as a link between himself and Tinubu during negotiations that led to the merger of opposition parties into the APC, with the aim of ending the Peoples Democratic Party’s rule.
Lawal said he initially resisted taking up the responsibility because he feared political backlash from some northern leaders but eventually accepted after Buhari insisted.
He recalled Buhari telling him that Tinubu was his friend and that he was the best person to help bring both sides together for the merger.
Lawal explained that he met with leaders of the different parties and consulted widely to ensure the alliance succeeded.
He also claimed that Tinubu willingly set aside his own presidential ambition at the time because he believed removing the PDP from power was more important.
According to Lawal, Tinubu told him that although he wanted to become president, defeating the PDP had to come first and he was prepared to postpone his ambition until that objective was achieved.
Speaking about the APC presidential primary, Lawal said Tinubu's support proved decisive in Buhari's emergence as the party's candidate.
He explained that after reviewing delegate numbers, he realised Buhari already enjoyed overwhelming support in the North but needed backing from the South-West to secure victory.
Lawal said he presented the figures to Tinubu and argued that supporting Buhari would produce a winning ticket. He added that Tinubu accepted the argument and convinced his political allies to support Buhari in the early hours before the convention.
Lawal further claimed that Tinubu provided substantial financial support for the campaign.
According to him, the President not only helped raise campaign funds but also personally financed the campaign activities of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who had to convince Christian communities and other groups that Buhari's candidacy deserved their support.
He alleged that Tinubu paid for aircraft used during Osinbajo's campaign tours because those activities were being run separately from Buhari's main campaign.
Lawal also claimed Tinubu hired political consultants from the United States, whom he described as people connected to former US President Barack Obama, to strengthen the APC's campaign strategy.
He estimated that Tinubu spent more than ₦2 billion, converted to dollars, to engage the consultants.
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The former SGF added that Tinubu often paid for major campaign expenses from his personal funds instead of relying on money from the campaign account.
He described Tinubu as a generous politician who had helped many people financially without expecting anything in return.
However, Lawal said the Tinubu he knew before becoming president was different from the one currently leading the country.
He criticised the administration, describing it as a failure after three years in office, and accused government officials of placing personal interests above the welfare of Nigerians.
According to him, many Nigerians are struggling because of the current economic situation, adding that public dissatisfaction has continued to grow.
Lawal concluded by saying he believes Tinubu has changed since assuming office, stating that the President appears to have "lost his soul" after coming into government.
