Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has declared that the anti-Tinubu coalition will remain strong even if all 36 state governors join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lawal made this assertion while reacting to the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term by the 22 APC governors, who publicly backed the president as the party's sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
"Let the governors continue to defect, we don't care. If we wake up one morning and hear that all the 36 state governors and the FCT are in APC, we don't care," Lawal stated emphatically.
The former SGF, who is a key figure in the opposition coalition seeking to unseat the APC in 2027, dismissed the significance of these endorsements, describing them as "immaterial" to their strategy.
"It is immaterial. They have only 37 votes; maybe we can add their families. Maybe you get 1000 votes. The voter is what we are targeting, and the voter is the victim of the system we are against," he explained.
Lawal expressed confidence in the coalition's chances of defeating the APC in the 2027 presidential election, indicating that they would soon announce their plans to the public.
The opposition coalition, which was formally announced on March 20, is led by prominent political figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party's 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai.
According to reports, the coalition has been engaged in several rounds of talks regarding which political platform to adopt, with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) initially appearing as the frontrunner following El-Rufai's defection from the APC.
El-Rufai's move to the SDP reportedly sparked significant interest from his supporters and other northern political leaders, potentially strengthening the coalition's position as the 2027 elections approach.
Political analysts are closely watching the development of this coalition, as it represents a significant challenge to President Tinubu's reelection bid, despite the growing number of governors rallying behind the incumbent president.
