Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing him of abandoning the inclusive style of leadership he was known for during his time as governor of Lagos State.
Speaking in a viral online interview, Lawal said the Tinubu who governed Lagos was more inclusive and financially prudent than the President now leading the country.
Questioning the change, he said: “Where is the Tinubu we knew? Where is the governor we knew then?” He further alleged that the President had moved from being “Bola the democrat” to “Bola the dictator.”
Reflecting on Tinubu’s years as Lagos governor, Lawal pointed to the diversity of his cabinet, saying appointments were not limited by ethnicity.
“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 explained that Tinubu’s record in Lagos had convinced many Nigerians that he could successfully lead a country as diverse as Nigeria.
According to him, that expectation has not been met since Tinubu assumed office as President.
“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 also alleged that federal appointments and major infrastructure projects had become heavily concentrated in Lagos and among individuals closely associated with 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 added that many people who had supported Tinubu before he became President were now disappointed with the direction of his administration, noting that they were often blamed for helping to bring him to power.
He further accused the government of using state institutions and other groups to weaken opposition parties in what he described as an attempt to pave the way for a one-party state ahead of the 2027 general 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.
Commenting on the judiciary, Lawal claimed the courts were no longer as independent as they should be in relation to the executive arm of government.
“I think the judiciary has allowed itself to be surrendered to government,” he said.
Drawing from his experience as SGF, Lawal explained that although he sometimes conveyed the government’s position on ongoing cases, judicial officers still made their own decisions.
“Sometimes they do what we want. Sometimes they don’t, depending on where that is. It’s just accidental,” he said.