Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, says nobody in the ruling All Progressives Congress should oppose the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s ambition to contest the nation’s Presidency in 2023.
Lawal also advocated power shift to the South, particularly the South-West.
The former SGF deplored the desire by some northern politicians for the retention of the nation’s Presidency in their region.
He accused some APC governors of being behind the crisis in the party for their own selfish political interests.
Lawal alleged that some politicians were planning to seize the APC structure under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, adding that it was absurd for such politicians, who he accused of masterminding the sacking of the former National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to work against Tinubu’s 2023 presidential ambition.
The former SGF said, “Those who wanted Adams Oshiohmole out are more desperate because of 2023 because as a national chairman of a party, from my our own observation, there’s very little he could do to favour or impose a presidential candidate in his party.
“Except we want to bring the wrath of God on our heads, because of his role in building the party, equity and a sense of justice demand that he be given a chance in a free and fair system and let his luck prevail.
“Nobody with a clear conscience in the APC will deny Tinubu the opportunity to contest the Presidency. Nobody within the party has the moral right to even put a stumbling block on his path. The party must create an environment that is free and fair for anybody who wants to contest, including Bola Tinubu. Let the delegates, who must have emerged through a similarly free and fair process, decide who they want to vote for.”
He further advised President Buhari to back power shift to the South in 2023 so that his successor would emerge from the region.
“A just and equitable way of doing things is to agree, as gentlemen, that since the North has had its President for the second tenure, the opportunity should be given to the South to produce the next President,” he said.
The former SGF lamented that rather than being a blessing, the North’s decades of holding the nation’s number one political office had become problematic for the country.
Lawal said, “By the way, what did we get from several years of governance with the Presidency being from the North? Since the demise of General Sani Abacha, the country has been into crises of insecurity and poor economy.
“Along the line, we have also had vice-presidents who were northerners. We have had presidents who were northerners but for whatever reason, the system is not improving. Presidency from the North is like an albatross around our neck.”