Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has made a bold prediction ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that all elected officials from northern Nigeria, including incumbent governors seeking re-election, will not succeed unless they defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking on Trust TV’s Sunday Politics, Lawal leveled sharp criticism at the ruling APC, accusing it of marginalising the North and failing to deliver meaningful governance.
According to him, the APC has become politically toxic in the region:
“Which northern elected official will go to campaign on the platform of the APC this coming election? Nobody. Unless ab initio, you have no plan to win election. I can’t see anywhere,” he said.
When asked whether this assertion also applies to current governors eyeing re-election, Lawal responded decisively:
“Unless they join the ADC, they will not win… simply because they belong to a destructive party. A party that woefully failed to perform.”
Lawal further revealed that the ADC has already initiated discussions with some northern governors ahead of the 2027 election cycle. He stressed that widespread defections from the APC to the ADC would be inevitable if northern politicians hope to retain power.
In reinforcing his argument, the former SGF aligned himself with recent remarks made by former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for neglecting northern Nigeria in infrastructure development.
“Every Nigerian that has anything to do with the North will know that no infrastructure work is going on at any level,” Lawal said.
“No projects are going on at least they are not visible to the eye. Maybe in their imagination, maybe in the spirit but we don’t see it.”
He maintained that no tangible federal infrastructure projects are underway in the region, dismissing any claims to the contrary as baseless.
Lawal concluded by highlighting the shared technical background between himself and Kwankwaso, stating that this gives them a trained eye for spotting development or the lack thereof.
“We’re both engineers. We know what construction looks like. We know what development looks like. And we don’t see it anywhere in the North.”
With this statement, Lawal added his voice to a growing chorus of northern politicians questioning the APC’s grip on the region and signaling potential political realignment ahead of 2027.
