‘Where is the Tinubu we knew?’ Babachir Lawal questions President’s leadership style

…Accuses FG of Lagos-centric projects, alleges judiciary has lost independence

By Olayinka Ajayi

ABUJA — Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership style, alleging that the President has departed from the inclusive governance approach he displayed during his tenure as Lagos State governor.

Lawal, in a viral online interview, claimed that the Tinubu who governed Lagos demonstrated broader inclusiveness and financial discipline but had adopted a different approach since assuming office at the federal level.

“Where is the Tinubu we knew? Where is the governor we knew then?” Lawal asked, alleging that the President had shifted from being “Bola the democrat” to “Bola the dictator.”

The former SGF recalled Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos governor, noting that his cabinet included people from different ethnic backgrounds and that he demonstrated the ability to manage the state despite financial challenges.

“When he was governor, Rauf Aregbesola was Commissioner for Works from Osun and there were others. I think there was even a Hausa man in the cabinet and an Igbo man was there,” he said.

Lawal said he had previously believed Tinubu’s Lagos experience could serve as a model for governing a diverse country like Nigeria.

He, however, expressed disappointment that he believed the President’s approach had changed after moving to Abuja.

“But suddenly he comes to Abuja and all he sees is Yoruba. And even in Yoruba, all he sees is Lagos. Even in Lagos, all he sees is the people he worked with before. So what happens to the rest of us?” he asked.

The former SGF alleged that federal infrastructure projects and appointments had become concentrated among Lagos and individuals close to the President.

“All infrastructure, 80 per cent now is only Lagos. Everything is Lagos. Even for the budget, the people that managed to get capital projects in the federation are MDAs headed by his close associates,” he claimed.

Lawal said those who had known Tinubu before his presidency were more disappointed by the current situation, adding that critics often accuse them of being part of the process that brought him to power.

He also accused the administration of allegedly using state institutions and other groups to weaken opposition parties and promote a one-party system ahead of the 2027 elections.

“His weaponisation of agents, either state agents or shadow groups, destabilising opposition political parties, trying to force one-party state coordination next year rather than having competition,” he alleged.

On the judiciary, Lawal claimed that the institution had become less independent in its relationship with the executive arm of government.

“I think the judiciary has allowed itself to be surrendered to government,” he said.

He recalled that while serving as SGF, he sometimes communicated government positions on cases involving the administration but left the final decisions to the courts.

“Sometimes they do what we want. Sometimes they don’t, depending on where that is. It’s just accidental,” he said.

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