I would have been sacked, killed or resigned if I was in Tinubu’s govt – Ex-SGF Babachir Lawal

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, on Monday criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying he would not have been able to work under it.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Lawal said he would have resigned if he had been part of the cabinet.

“I thank God I didn’t make the mistake of joining this government from the start,” he remarked. “If I were in this government, I probably would have been sacked long ago, killed, or resigned.”

The former All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain accused the Tinubu government of nepotism, alleging that the President’s appointments heavily favoured the Yoruba ethnic group.

“I cannot attend a meeting where 99 per cent of the participants are Yoruba. The tendency is that they conclude the meeting in their language while I just sit there,” he said.

Recalling events during the campaign, Lawal claimed that after Tinubu’s “emi lokan” speech in Ogun State, some supporters insulted northerners, calling them illiterate. “These are the people whose votes we needed,” he noted. “The problem with the Yoruba is that when you support them and they win, they act as though they have subdued you and will not acknowledge your support.”

Lawal also criticised Tinubu’s economic policies, pointing to soaring inflation and questioning the benefits of the fuel subsidy removal announced in May 2023. He alleged that despite the announcement, the government was still secretly paying the subsidy.

On the 2023 presidential election, Lawal claimed the APC rigged the poll. Asked who he believed won, he replied, “Peter Obi won that election.”