2023 Presidency: Babachir Lawal Speaks On Tinubu Replacing Buhari

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, says Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stands a good chance of emerging as Nigeria’s next president in 2023 to replace President Muhammadu Buhari.

Naija News reports that Lawal made this comment while speaking with reporters in Yola, Adamawa state capital.

This online news platform understands that Tinubu is eyeing the number one position in the country but the APC chieftain is yet to speak about it publicly.

Expressing his support for power shift to the south, Lawal said Tinubu possesses the qualities of a modern president.

The former SGF maintained that power rotation should be one of the legacies of Buhari.

His words: “By 2023 when Buhari’s tenure will be over, he’ll go back to Daura to face his cows like I am doing. But you see, every leader must leave behind a legacy. I will like to see that he leaves behind a legacy of achievement,” he said.

“Bola Tinubu is my friend of many years. Buhari is my big boss. Bola Tinubu without prejudice that he’s my friend, will make a good president.

“Other issues notwithstanding, he (Tinubu) will make a good modern president because the presidency these days is scientific. Nigerians, by convention, seem to have agreed that there should be rotation of the presidency.”

Asked to comment on the notion that the north had been preventing an Igbo person from becoming the president, the former SGF said: “But they (south-easterners) have not been working together to actualise an Igbo presidency.”

Meanwhile, in April, Lawal said he can be President of Nigeria because he is “quite competent to do so”.

Lawal, who was sacked as SGF in October 2017, after he was indicted in the over N544m grass-cutting scandal said: “Every part of Nigeria can produce a president, a competent one,” he said.

“I know so many. Being a cosmopolitan man, I know Igbos not less than ten that can successfully run this country; I know Yorubas that can do, I know Ijaws that can do, I know Hausas that can do, I know even Kilba.

“Hey myself, my friend, I can be president of this country. I consider myself quite competent to do so from a small tribe of 300,000 people. There are so many such tribes that can produce good, competent leaders all over Nigeria,” he added.