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Obi-Kwankwaso ticket offers best 2027 election chance, says ex-SGF
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

Obi-Kwankwaso ticket offers best 2027 election chance, says ex-SGF

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, believes a joint ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso offers the best chance of winning the 2027 Nigerian presidential election.
  • Lawal assessed that individually, Obi and Kwankwaso would face disaster, but together could achieve around 70% success, while rating President Bola Tinubu at 50% and Atiku Abubakar at zero.
  • The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed Lawal's claims, stating they were not worth a response, while Lawal also detailed President Tinubu's role in the APC's formation and the 2015 campaign.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has asserted that a presidential ticket combining Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Rabiu Kwankwaso would present the strongest chance of victory in the 2027 Nigerian general election. Lawal shared his assessment in an interview with Symfoni TV, where he evaluated the prospects of leading political figures.

Peter Obi will try to be fair to everybody. Obi will try to do that which is right.‘’Peter Obi, Kwankwaso, take note, I’m pairing them. I’m pairing them. Individually will be disaster, but I’m pairing them. So I’ll give them, on my scale, close to like 70 per cent. Again, Bola, 50. Atiku, zero.’’

— Babachir LawalAssessing the potential of various presidential candidates for the 2027 election in an interview.

Lawal elaborated on his prediction, stating, "Individually will be disaster, but I’m pairing them. I’m pairing them. So I’ll give them, on my scale, close to like 70 per cent." He contrasted this potential alliance with other major political figures, rating President Bola Tinubu at 50% and predicting a loss for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, whom he gave a zero percent chance of winning.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has publicly dismissed Lawal's assertions. Felix Morka, the APC's National Publicity Secretary, stated that Lawal's remarks "did not merit a response" and that he "said nothing that’s worth responding to." Despite the party's rebuttal, Lawal continued to elaborate on his political analysis.

He said nothing that’s worth responding to.

— Felix MorkaThe APC National Publicity Secretary's response to Babachir Lawal's claims about the 2027 election.

In addition to his electoral predictions, Lawal recounted President Bola Tinubu's significant role in the formation of the APC and his financial backing of Muhammadu Buhari's 2015 presidential campaign. Lawal claimed that Tinubu even postponed his own presidential ambitions to facilitate the opposition's victory over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He also criticized Tinubu's current administration, labeling it a "failure" and accusing those in power of prioritizing personal interests over national welfare. Lawal shared personal anecdotes about his involvement in brokering the merger between Tinubu's Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Buhari's Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), highlighting his close relationship with the current president.

BD, you know my ambition to be president. But the way the country is going, the primary goal is to get rid of PDP. I will defer my ambition, put it aside until w

— Bola TinubuRecounted by Babachir Lawal, referring to Tinubu's decision to set aside his presidential ambition for the formation of the APC.
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Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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