The immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir Lawal, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would defeat former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if the next presidential election were to be determined by the level of rigging.
Speaking at a political stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, Lawal expressed strong confidence in the political strength and machinery of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Tinubu’s leadership.
“Let me be very clear. If the election is to be decided by rigging, President Bola Tinubu will defeat Atiku Abubakar. In fact, he will defeat him convincingly,” Lawal stated.
The former SGF argued that the APC, under President Tinubu’s leadership, has developed formidable structures across the country capable of matching or surpassing any opposition in any form of political contest, including irregular means sometimes alleged in Nigerian elections.
He further claimed that the opposition, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its flagbearer Atiku Abubakar, lack the necessary grassroots depth and operational capacity to compete effectively with the ruling party in a fiercely contested environment.
“They talk about structure. We have structure. They talk about money. We have money. They talk about influence. We have influence where it matters. So if they want to play rough, we are ready,” Lawal added.
Babachir Lawal’s statement comes as political activities and permutations ahead of the 2027 general elections continue to intensify, with major political actors already positioning themselves.
He urged opposition figures to focus on credible political engagement rather than what he described as “daydreaming and propaganda.”