How Tinubu’s last-minute support secured Buhari’s APC ticket — Babachir Lawal
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, has recounted how Bola Ahmed Tinubu played a decisive role in ensuring Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in 2014.
Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, Lawal shared details of late-night political manoeuvring that swung support in Buhari’s favour ahead of the party’s convention.
Lawal explained that Buhari was not the frontrunner at the time, facing stiff competition from Northern candidates like Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso, with even his home state of Katsina offering uncertain support. He noted that Buhari’s austere image and tough anti-corruption stance unsettled many northern elites.
Concerned that a southern candidate like Rochas Okorocha—popular in the North—could take advantage of the divided northern votes, Lawal and the late Inuwa Abdulkadir initiated a high-level intervention. They believed the only way to guarantee Buhari’s success was to secure backing from Tinubu and the Southwest.
At about 3 a.m., they visited Tinubu and laid out their strategic analysis, emphasizing that the APC merger hinged on pairing Buhari’s consistent northern base with votes from the Southwest. After careful deliberation, Tinubu agreed to support Buhari, a move Lawal described as the turning point.
Lawal further revealed that once Tinubu declared support for Buhari, many Southwest delegates returned monetary incentives received from rival aspirants. According to him, Tinubu’s influence unified the region’s support and changed the political tide.
He credited Tinubu’s political skill for orchestrating the turnaround. “That type of skill he brought into the process contributed to Buhari’s emergence,” Lawal said.
Despite his past alliance with Tinubu, Lawal ruled out any future political reconciliation. He said he could not, in good conscience, serve in the current administration, stating, “I’d rather die with my integrity intact than be part of it.”
