Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is not a healthy man and advising him to leave the presidency to focus on his health.
Speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV, Lawal argued that Nigerians are not deceived whenever the President travels to France under the guise of official trips.
“President Tinubu is not a healthy man. Nigerians are not fooled when he goes to France. I’ve said it before. He has done four years; he should face his health,” Lawal said.
He further commented on the President’s personal habits, claiming that Tinubu is not driven by material wealth.
“Tinubu is not even someone who is materialistic. He wakes up in the morning and eats banana and groundnut, and that’s his food. What I know he likes most is silk cigarettes. He smokes. He likes that a lot. He can’t do without it. I don’t know if he has stopped,” he said.
Recounting the events that brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) to power, Lawal revealed how he acted as a key negotiator between former President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu during the merger of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Lawal disclosed that Tinubu voluntarily put his own presidential ambition on hold in 2015 to prioritize defeating the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He furthwr disclosed that during the late-night delegate arithmetic at the 2014 APC presidential primary, Lawal recalled confronting Buhari with voter projections.
He reminded Buhari that while he reliably commanded roughly 12 million votes across Northern Nigeria on any ballot, he desperately needed an additional three million votes from the South-West to secure a winning ticket, votes that only Tinubu’s political machinery could deliver.
Lawal noted that he urged Buhari to acknowledge Tinubu’s sacrifices and indispensable contribution in delivering those crucial three million votes, alongside bankrolling key aspects of the 2015 presidential campaign, including hiring foreign campaign strategists and funding logistics.
Despite acknowledging Tinubu’s pivotal role in forming the APC and securing Buhari’s presidency, Lawal slammed the current administration, describing it as a failure.
He accused those running the government of prioritizing personal interests over the welfare of citizens and losing touch with the struggles facing ordinary Nigerians.