Lawal says ‘grass-cutting scandal’ was political setup, renews criticism of Atiku

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has publicly declared the 2017 controversy that led to his removal from office a "political setup." Lawal also reignited his criticism of African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, asserting that supporting Abubakar would inadvertently pave the way for President Bola Tinubu's second term.

In a detailed Facebook post, Lawal defended the contract at the heart of the scandal, which involved the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE). He claims the controversy was orchestrated by political actors who were uncomfortable with his close ties to former President Muhammadu Buhari, which he stated dated back to 1971. Lawal, a Christian from the Kilba ethnic group, suggested that some politicians feared Buhari was grooming him for higher office, prompting them to engineer his removal from the influential SGF position.

Lawal further alleged that a high-powered delegation protested his appointment on ethnic and religious grounds, but Buhari dismissed these objections. He also claimed that northern senators, in collaboration with executive and media allies, coordinated efforts to remove him. According to Lawal, Buhari initially rejected an interim Senate report recommending his removal due to lack of substance and denial of fair hearing. However, he claims pressure from then-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo led to further investigations.

The 2017 controversy centered on allegations that a company linked to Lawal benefited from a PINE contract, raising conflict-of-interest concerns. Although the Senate accused him of violating public service rules, leading to his suspension and removal by Buhari, Lawal and his co-defendants were discharged and acquitted by the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in November 2022. The judge ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to establish a prima facie case. The EFCC has announced plans to appeal this ruling.

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I find this amusing because it was clearly a setup to get me out of the office.