A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation
(SGF), Babachir Lawal, said in Abuja on Tuesday that the candidate of the
Labour Party, (LP) Peter Obi, won the February 25 presidential election and not
Bola Tinubu as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC).
Lawal, a close ally of Tinubu, asserted that available
factual data as aggregated from several independent sources indicated that Obi
got the majority votes while Atiku came second in the election.
According to him, Tinubu came a distant third in the number
of votes scored.
In a strongly worded statement he issued on Tuesday,
Babachir Lawal said: “I have resisted the temptation to engage in the
contemporary political discourse since the May, 2023 election faux pas.
“I did this for two reasons; the first being that as an
active player in the drama, I needed time to analyze and digest the data that
led to the outcome(s) so I could arrive at an informed decision; the second,
being that the rainy season had just set in and it was necessary that I focused
my attention on my farms which are the mainstay of my livelihood.
“The current topical issues for political discourse and
inquiry are whether or not Bola Tinubu won the presidential election and/or
that he was apriori, qualified to participate in the election given his murky
bio data as is now being publicly unveiled daily in an avalanche.
“My answer to the first inquiry is that regardless of
whatever INEC or Appeal Court said or did, Bola did not win the election.
“Right from the start of the campaigns, Bola new knew he was
not going to win the election in a free and fair contest so he decide to go by
all means.
“Available factual data as aggregated from several
independent sources indicate that Obi got the majority votes while Atiku came
second. Bola came a distant third in the number of votes scored.
“My answer to the second inquiry is that given the now
unfolding deluge of uncomplimentary information about who or what he actually
is, ordinarily, sound ethics and morality should have convinced him to
voluntarily excuse himself from participation in the election.
But this, notwithstanding, I believe he still has time and
opportunity to save himself this public humiliation and embarrassment to his
person, both locally and internationally by resigning so that he can give more
attention to his health.
“After all, no one knows about the truism of these severely
embarrassing and humiliating exposures about his person than the man himself.
“Leadership is all about integrity; sound pedigree,
trustworthiness and the ability to unite and instil hope and confidence in the
people one seeks to lead. In these qualities, most Nigerians are in total
agreement that Bola has them in very very short supply indeed.
“But now, six months down the line, the chicken has come
home to roost as Nigerians have come to the realization that we have not got
what we deserved politically.
“Confusion and despondency is now all over the nation as no
one trusts the government to do what it says it will do. No one trusts the
leader; and no one trusts appointees who are appointed as rewards for their
roles in the election or who had in the past helped him in his life.
“Bola the President and his group are now in government and
are in full control of Nigeria’s vast resources and opportunities. They are
enjoying their offices while Nigerians languish in insecurity, poverty and
hopelessness.
“During the campaign, Bola mouthed some platitudes about
competence; but we are so far yet to see it reflected in his political
appointments. It seems more like he is rewarding people who supported him to
get the Presidency at all cost.
“This band of appointees that Bola is assembling into his
government don’t care about Nigeria at all.
“Fuel prices will continue to gallop upwards until only they
can afford it; the Naira will continue to race downhill in a free-fall until
only they can afford anything in the market; insecurity will continue its
escalation until every community in the nation is consumed by it.
“Just to mention a few of these appointees: take insecurity
for example, what do you expect an accountant to do as Minister of Defense?
“Was he not that one who was governor while Bello Turji et
al freely terrorized Zamfara State? What about his CBN Governor with a CV; a
one-time Chairman of a little-known bank employing 300 people in less than 12
branches clustered in the South South and South East regions?
“Is there any doubt left as to his lack of qualification and
experience for the job than that his first policy statement was to remove
foreign exchange restrictions for the importation of 43 agricultural and
related products?
“Certainly, Nigerians are in for a short thrift. The people
running the government do not care a hoot about the Nigerian people; their
cronies are the petroleum industry players while some are the banking system
players so a free fall of the Naira and an unregulated upward movement of oil
prices both work for more profits for them.
“By the way, has anyone noticed the intolerance for free
speech and dictatorship that is creeping upon us? Has anyone noticed the
actions of the National Broadcasting Commission of late?”
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Does Nigeria still have elites who are noteworthy? It would not hurt to speak up and make suggestions to help our country . This is all we got . I feel ashamed talking with my American friends who recall my pride in being a bonafide Nigerian. Can you all please save me from shame?
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