Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), has revealed that several key figures within Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including sitting governors, are secretly aligning with an emerging opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Lawal made the explosive revelation during an interview on Tuesday evening on TVC News’ political talk show, Beyond The Headlines.
This comes in the wake of the coalition’s formal adoption of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform last week. The coalition, a major political realignment effort aimed at unseating the APC, features heavyweight politicians such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, former Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Rotimi Amaechi, among others.
Speaking candidly, Lawal criticized the APC leadership, accusing it of stifling internal dissent and silencing contrary opinions. He described the party as intolerant, saying internal democracy had virtually collapsed.
“APC has never been united. It’s a party bullied into silence,” Lawal declared. “You can’t even advise them. The moment you raise dissent, you become the enemy.”
Lawal, who formally left the APC on June 29, admitted to working against the party even before his official resignation, and stated that many others—both senior party members and sitting governors—are doing the same behind closed doors.
“Many are with us. Very, very many,” he emphasized.
He also pushed back against claims that the coalition’s formation was motivated by personal animosity toward President Bola Tinubu.
“This coalition isn’t just an anti-Tinubu project. Our goal is clear: Replace a non-performing government with one that serves Nigerians better,” Lawal said.
His comments add to growing speculation about deepening cracks within the APC and suggest that the 2027 elections may be far more competitive and unpredictable than initially expected.
