Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has explained why he believed former President Muhammadu Buhari relied on him when dealing with prominent Yoruba political figures.
Lawal spoke during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday night, shared by DAILY POST on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
According to the former SGF, Buhari was aware of his relationships with President Bola Tinubu and a founding chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Bisi Akande.
Lawal said he believed those relationships influenced Buhari’s decision to rely on him in managing political interactions with Yoruba leaders. He added that although Buhari later abandoned him politically, they eventually reconciled and maintained a personal relationship.
He also said Buhari continued to contact him occasionally for his views on political and national matters despite their previous disagreement.
Explaining why he believed Buhari relied on him, Lawal said, “It seems like it’s because of my relationship with Bola and Bisi Akande that he could use me to manage the Yorubas whom he found difficult to manage and of course I tried my best.”