Politics

Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Tinubu’s Disastrous Error – Ex-SGF Babachir Lawal

Published

3 years ago

July 12, 2022

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has described as “disastrous error” the choice by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, of Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

According to him, although Tinubu remained “a very good man”, great listener, humble and “very generous in both cash and kind, especially where it could advance his political interests”, he had realised that it had been in the nature of power that “sycophants and lapdogs have the most influence on leaders with such character traits.”

Lawal bared his mind in a lengthy essay obtained by The PUNCH in Abuja on Tuesday night.

The statement read, “I thought I will be able to avoid commenting on the disastrous error by my very good friend, Sen Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his choice of a running mate. I will be the very last person to stand in the way of my very good friend Tinubu’s path to the presidency. This is because since 2011 my consuming passion has been for him to succeed Buhari as President of Nigeria.

“It will not be true if I say that I did not see it coming. I have often read his body language, picked up snippets from several discussions with his lapdogs (some of whom, sadly are Christians but most of whom are Moslems) and I have conveyed my reservations to them against the pitfalls of a Moslem-Moslem ticket towards which I sensed they were drifting.

“As part of my obligation to him, a close friend, I had on many occasions argued the merits and demerits of both ticket permutations to him. I have done so in both verbal and written form and I have, likewise, done so with some of his close respectable associates and friends. In all instances, I had left him with the sole responsibility for his final decision, arguing that in the end, the consequences of the outcome of any bad decision will be his to bear.

“There might be some collateral damages though. I have also on several occasions passed on to him counsels and messages from some well-meaning Nigerians intended to alert him on the possible outcomes of the Presidential ticket permutations. Tinubu is a very good man. He is a great listener. He has a very humble and friendly disposition to everyone. He is very generous in both cash and kind, especially where it could advance his political interests.

“But I have realised that it is in the nature of power that sycophants and lapdogs have the most influence on leaders with such character traits. They will lie to him, malign and disparage others and generally do anything to curry his favour and to also put well-meaning associates in bad light. I suspect this is what has happened to my friend. He has been cornered by self-serving, hero-worshiping lapdogs. It never used to be like this. While in his hay-days in Lagos, he surrounded himself with smart, street-wise guys that could tell truth to power. He had Rauf Aregbesola, Yemi Osinbajo, Babatunde Fashola, Dele Alake, Muiz Banire, etc. The Lagos days were the days of think-tanks, strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, principles and ideologies.

“But these people have since grown-up and moved up to establish their own systems, leaving my friend stranded. Nature, they say, abhors vacuum. Welcome the Abuja equivalent. But the Abuja equivalent are people inflicted with the modern Nigerian diseases – religious bigotry, sycophancy and morbid tribalism. They are mostly political jobbers who are most times not averse to the application of diabolical means. Gone are the days of think-tanks, and strategic planning. Gone are the days of principles and ideologies. Try and call a meeting; they will not attend. Try and make a plan; they will sabotage it. Everything is ad hoc, everything is chaotic because they excel in such environments. The result is that they have played on his long term ambition to be President and have built it into a sort of desperation and a crescendo that easily justifies this satanic resort to a Muslim-Muslim ticket. This is the calamity that has befallen my friend.

“And why Kashim Shettima? He is an overambitious man who has a Machiavellian bent and has lots of money with which to procure a preferred-candidate status among Tinubu’s lapdogs. And as we are beginning to see, to also procure bogus supporters especially from among the Christian community to help launder his not-so-good image. But as a popular proverb goes: ‘Those whom the gods want to destroy they first make mad’. It appears that the gods want to destroy the APC and its Presidential Candidate and have chosen the instrumentality of the northern Moslem governors and their super ambitious tool, Kashim Ibrahim, for this purpose. Alhaji Kashim Shettima is a Greek gift from the Northern governors to Tinubu. I advise Bola to make sure Kashima’s two hands are always in his plain sight and empty.

“True, based on the advice of his new friends, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made his choice. And I am sure he thinks he is ready for the outcome of that choice. He has chosen to bring religion to the front burner of Nigerian politics. And being a Muslim, he has chosen to take sides with his own religion. For all he cares, Christians can go to blazes with their votes.

“But he must also be told that there will be consequences for this choice. Some of them are that Christians all over the country will revolt against the APC to put the chances of his election in serious jeopardy.

“It will also put the election of all Christians standing for elections in Christian dominated areas in jeopardy. This could result in the APC being a minority party in both the National and State Houses of Assembly.

“Now tell me which Christian will vote for the APC with the following contraption: Moslem Presidential Candidate (Lagos), Moslem Vice Presidential Candidate (Borno), Moslem National Chairman (Nasarawa), Moslem Deputy National Chairman (Borno), Moslem President (Katsina); Moslem Senate President (Yobe); Moslem Speaker (Lagos); Moslem Deputy Speaker (Plateau) etc. The APC the great! Wu na de try woh! The northern governors and some northern Moslem elites must have persuaded him that they will never vote for a ticket that has a northern Christian on it. And he has agreed with them. But if he thinks a Moslem-Moslem ticket will win him the northern Muslim votes, he should have a rethink.

“They will massively vote for one of their sons because it is in their nature to do so. Buhari, their first son, will not be on the ballot in 2023. Atiku their second son will be. Proof of a possible Islamic agenda was leaked when Governor Ganduje, the “Kadmul Islam”, gave advance notice that Tinubu had assured them he would be nominating a Moslem as his running mate.

“For those who might not know, Governor Ganduje has a foundation called “Ganduje Foundation” which purpose, according to its website, is to ‘provide selfless service to humanity and Islam’ but whose primary purpose it appears is the conversion of Christians to Islam. So if my very good friend Tinubu in a desperate bid to become President allows himself to be made into a religious bigot or even a mujahideen, he is welcome. But it is a risk that will not play out positively for his presidential bid.

“But, were he to win and become President of Nigeria, it will be as a sectional President; an Islamic President. And he will surely face massive discontent and opposition even before taking off. Expecting Nigerians to ignore this crass insensitivity to the country’s diversity amounts to acceding to the perpetration of very grave injustice and discrimination against a huge segment of the society. No one who seeks to be president of Nigeria should ever deploy the tool of religious extremism and exclusivism as a tool to win elections. This is very very dangerous. And this is very sad.
But, baring any last minute change of mind, Bola has made his choice. He should be bluntly told that in this choice Nigerian Christians clearly see a pending Islamic Republic of Nigeria in its infancy and are right to be severely anxious.

“There is gloom among the Christian community all over the country since Tinubu announced Kashim Shettima as his running mate. Are the generality of the Moslem Ummah happy with this? The answer is a resounding NO. How then do we respond? The decision as to how to respond to this deliberately senseless act of provocation is both corporate to each religious group and also personal to each voter that love peace, and hate injustice.

“Christians want to continue to live peacefully with their Moslem neighbours at home, at school, at the work place, in the markets and on the streets as we have always done or desired to do. And I am sure Moslems share this view too. No one person’s ambition to rule over us should be allowed to set us apart and at war with one another.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be compelled upon by whoever can do so to rescind this decision. President Muhammadu Buhari should exercise his powers as the Commander-in-Chief and as the APC Leader to revoke this nomination of a VP by Tinubu. The APC National Chairman should refuse to sign the nomination forms if not rescinded.

“There is a story in the Bible on how some people responded to similar provocation: ‘And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David. So Israel went to their tents’ (1 Kings 12:16).

“I will love for Bola to be our next President. But I am afraid a Moslem-Moslem ticket will be ‘Dead on Arrival’. And the arrival date according to INEC’s election time table is 25th February, 2023. This ticket will drag down the whole APC members to the pit. We all should reject it.”

Politics

Bode George Reacts To Mbah’s Defection To APC

Published

18 hours ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George, has expressed surprise over the defection of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, George said he did not anticipate the move despite several reconciliatory efforts by senior PDP figures to resolve internal issues in the party.

“I never saw it at any time. In fact, when Anyanwu was brought back as secretary to complete his assignment, he asked his people not to attend meetings. We were wondering what was going on in the South-East. Now that we have settled the matter and fixed the convention date, it’s only a question of time. Whatever position the East wanted to give him would have been his. So, what’s the essence of leaving now?” George said.

The PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) member revealed that several party leaders had met with Governor Mbah to persuade him to remain in the party.

“The governor, we all waded in and convinced him. Many people went there, telling him, ‘Calm down, the convention is next month. You’ll get whatever is due to the South-East.’ But the rationale and emphasis he gave, it was like I was in a very long dream,” he added.

While wishing the governor well, George maintained that the PDP remains strong and resilient despite recent defections. He also criticised the ruling APC, describing it as a “private enterprise” owned by an individual.

“I wish him the best of luck. This is not the first time people are leaving. The PDP is an iroko tree. The APC is owned by one man; he publicly said, ‘I own the party.’ That man is President Bola Tinubu,” he said.

Recall Guardian reported that Mbah, in a public address on Tuesday, noted that while he has changed political parties, the cultural and regional identity of Enugu remains the same.

The governor explained that the decision to join the APC was based on the need for stronger representation and better alignment with the federal government to support development projects in the state.

“Let me be clear, I will represent our state and our region with the same strength of purpose as I have always done. Our Igbo DNA does not change; our destiny does not change. What changes is that our vision now finds stronger reinforcement at the federal level,” Mbah said.

He assured residents that all ongoing projects in the state, including schools, hospitals, roads, and other services, would be completed as promised.

Despite the development, George expressed optimism that the PDP remains “absolutely redeemable” and will continue to play a significant role in Nigeria’s political landscape.

Politics

Acting INEC Chair Outlines Preparations or Anambra Poll

Published

20 hours ago

October 15, 2025

Editor

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Tuesday held its third quarterly consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja, where key updates on upcoming elections and party registration were presented.

The meeting was the first chaired by INEC’s Acting Chairman, May Agbamuche-Mbu, following the exit of former Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on October 7.

In her opening remarks, Agbamuche-Mbu acknowledged the former chairman’s tenure, stating, “Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu gracefully bowed out of office, leaving behind a legacy of innovation, institutional strength and integrity.”

She outlined the commission’s schedule of elections, including the Anambra State Governorship Election on November 8, 2025, the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections on February 21, 2026, the Ekiti Governorship Election on June 20, 2026, and the Osun Governorship Election on August 8, 2026.

Speaking on the Anambra election, Agbamuche-Mbu said, “The commission has completed 10 of the 13 key activities,” adding that the final activities include the publication of the notice of poll on October 25, the end of the campaign period on November 6, and the election on November 8.

She stated that all non-sensitive materials had been delivered to the state and that voter education was ongoing.

The acting chairman said, “The commission is committed to keeping strictly to the remaining activities as detailed in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities. Political parties are therefore called upon to be mindful of the last day for campaigns and keep strictly to it.

“The commission has been working assiduously and making arrangements for the successful conduct of the Anambra State governorship election and has had several engagements with the security agencies at national, state and local government levels.

“All non-sensitive materials for the election have been delivered to the state, and voter education and sensitisation are ongoing.”

She also provided a report on the by-elections conducted on August 16 across 12 states, covering two senatorial districts, five federal constituencies, and nine state assembly constituencies, in addition to two court-ordered rerun elections in Enugu and Kano states.

“Declarations and return were made… and Certificates of Return have been presented in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022,” she said.

Agbamuche-Mbu confirmed that the Continuous Voter Registration, which resumed nationwide in August, will continue until August 30, 2026.

She described the response to registration efforts as encouraging and said weekly updates are published on the INEC website.

On party registration, the acting chairman said the commission received 171 requests for registration of new political parties, but only 14 associations met the requirements to proceed to the next stage. These were evaluated based on constitutional and electoral law provisions.

In response, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, welcomed Agbamuche-Mbu’s appointment, stating, “The nation will benefit from her impressive service record and wealth of experience at this moment in our democratic process.”

Dantalle said IPAC had recently submitted reform proposals to the National Assembly, including the scrapping of State Independent Electoral Commissions, transferring local government elections to INEC, reserving special seats for women, restoring public funding for political parties, and removing the President’s power to appoint INEC’s leadership.

He described the Anambra governorship election as a critical test for the commission.

“The litmus test of the new leadership is the conduct of the November 8, 2025, Anambra State governorship election.

“INEC should get its act together and get it right,” he said.

He added, “With new leadership, citizens’ expectations are high, very high. The commission should justify the confidence the nation reposed in it. This is the only way to rebuild trust in the electoral process.”

Dantalle concluded by expressing IPAC’s readiness to support the electoral process, saying, “We are all in it together to build a better, greater, inclusive, prosperous and just democratic society.”

Yakubu was first appointed as INEC Chairman by former President Muhammadu Buhari on October 21, 2015, and was confirmed by the Senate on October 28, 2015.

He became the first person to be reappointed to the position, earning a second term in November 2020—also under Buhari’s administration.

President Bola Tinubu, who assumed office in 2023, accepted Yakubu’s resignation and decorated him with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger in recognition of his service.

On Thursday, the National Council of State approved Tinubu’s nomination of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new INEC Chairman. The appointment is now subject to Senate screening and confirmation.

Until then, Agbamuche-Mbu will continue to oversee the commission’s affairs as acting chairman.

INEC had earlier confirmed that 2.8 million voters are registered to participate in the Anambra election on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

The electoral body released the final list of candidates and announced the official commencement of campaign activities.

Sixteen political parties met the submission deadline of May 12 and will field candidates in the upcoming election.
(PUNCH)

Politics

Tinubu Under Fire Over Presidential Pardon For Drug Offenders

Published

3 days ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Opposition parties and political figures, including the African Democratic Congress and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have condemned President Bola Tinubu’s recent decision to grant presidential pardons to dozens of convicted criminals, including drug traffickers, describing the move as a grave setback to Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign and a dangerous affront to justice and morality.

The Presidency on Saturday released a detailed list of 175 individuals granted the 2025 presidential pardon, among them the late nationalist Herbert Macaulay, the late Major General Mamman Vatsa, and Maryam Sanda, who was sentenced to death for killing her husband.

The pardon, which also included presidential clemency, covered more than 30 convicted drug offenders and several others jailed for crimes such as homicide, fraud, and illegal mining. The development has sparked widespread criticism and debate across the country.

In a statement on Sunday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the move as “pathetic and a national disgrace,” arguing that it undermines the nation’s war against drugs, encourages criminality, and damages Nigeria’s international reputation.

“The African Democratic Congress finds as pathetic and an act of immense national disgrace the recent presidential pardon and clemency granted to several convicted criminals by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.

“It amounts to a most irresponsible abuse of the presidential power of prerogative of mercy to grant express pardon to dozens of convicts held for drug trafficking, smuggling, and related offences—especially when most of these convicts have barely served two years in jail for crimes that attract life imprisonment.”

The party said the decision sends a disturbing message that remorse and token rehabilitation are now sufficient grounds for freedom, even for serious crimes.

“According to official statements, it appears that all it takes to get presidential clemency for even the worst of crimes in Nigeria—including drug trafficking, gun running, and murder—is to show remorse and learn skills,” ADC said.

It added that the purpose of pardon and clemency is to correct miscarriages of justice and reintegrate those who have genuinely paid their debt to society, not to excuse dangerous offenders.

“We wonder what Nigeria stands to gain from this act of clemency to convicts serving life sentences who have barely served two years.

“For years, NDLEA officers have risked life and limb to combat this problem,” the party said. “Granting clemency to individuals convicted under such laws makes a mockery of their sacrifice and gives the world the impression that Nigeria, under President Tinubu, is sympathetic to drug dealers and a safe haven for traffickers.”

Also, Atiku said the pardon had “rightly sparked nationwide outrage.”

Atiku said while the presidential power of mercy is intended to balance justice with compassion, its misuse weakens confidence in the rule of law.

“Regrettably, the latest pardon issued by the Tinubu administration has done the very opposite,” Atiku said. “Extending clemency to individuals convicted of grave crimes such as drug trafficking, kidnapping, murder, and corruption diminishes the sanctity of justice and sends a dangerous signal to both the public and the international community.”

He described the decision as “shocking and indefensible” at a time when Nigeria is grappling with insecurity, moral decay, and a surge in drug-related crimes.

“Particularly worrisome,” he added, “is the revelation that 29.2 per cent of those pardoned were convicted for drug-related offences, even as our youth are being destroyed by narcotics and our nation continues to battle the global stigma of drug offences.”

In a pointed criticism, Atiku said the pardon raises “moral irony” given the lingering questions about Tinubu’s past in relation to a U.S. drug-related forfeiture case, noting that “it is therefore no surprise that this administration continues to show tolerance for individuals associated with criminal enterprise.”

“A presidential pardon should symbolise restitution and moral reform. Instead, what we have witnessed is a mockery of the criminal justice system, an affront to victims, and a demoralization of law enforcement.

“Clemency must never be confused with complicity. When a government begins to absolve offenders of the very crimes it claims to be fighting, it erodes moral authority and emboldens lawlessness.”

Atiku called for a review of the clemency process to ensure transparency, fairness, and respect for public interest, insisting that “Nigeria needs leaders who defend justice, not those who undermine it.”