Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, says former President Muhammadu Buhari relied on his political relationships with prominent Yoruba leaders because he found it difficult to manage them.
Mr Lawal made the claim while speaking in an interview with ARISE TV, reflecting on his relationship with the late president and his experience in Buhari’s administration.
According to Mr Lawal, Buhari was aware of his relationships with President Bola Tinubu and former All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman Bisi Akande, and believed those connections could help him navigate political relationships with Yoruba leaders.
He said he tried his best to fulfil that role, despite what he described as the eventual breakdown in their political relationship.
“There was still clearly some sort of human relationship,” Mr Lawal said, adding that Buhari used him to manage relationships with Yoruba politicians whom he found difficult to manage.
Mr Lawal was appointed SGF by Buhari in August 2015 but was suspended in April 2017 following controversy surrounding contracts awarded under the Presidential Initiative for the North-East.
His appointment was eventually terminated in October 2017, with Boss Mustapha succeeding him as SGF.
Reflecting on his removal, Mr Lawal said the development was not the result of a personal disagreement with Buhari.
He instead accused the former president of abandoning him during the difficult period that followed his removal from office.
“Buhari and I did not have a personal disagreement,” Mr Lawal said, adding that he felt the former president had “thrown me under the bus”.
Mr Lawal’s latest comments offer his account of the political relationship between himself and Buhari, as well as the circumstances surrounding his departure from government in 2017.
