"Babachir Lawal Discusses Backing Peter Obi - A Shift in Alliances"
A new political coalition, known as the Nigerian People's Consultative Political Forum (North), has been established with the aim of promoting unity and addressing disunity in the northern region of Nigeria. The Forum, which is attended by almost every significant northern politician who is not in government, was formed by a group of like-minded individuals who have been meeting to discuss strategies and issues.
During a recent interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, spoke about the criteria for choosing Nigeria's next president in 2027. He stated that the new yardsticks for leadership selection will emphasize selecting a leader who can provide every Nigerian a sense of belonging and justice, and who can create an environment where individual aspirations are achievable.
Lawal stressed that power should go to someone capable of addressing Nigerians personally — ensuring justice and inclusivity — rather than merely partisan loyalty or ethnic sentiment. This contrasts with the 2023 election, where different parameters, likely more focused on political alignments and party loyalty, were primary. He also emphasized that for the northern region, the next president should be someone who understands the region's unique challenges and is willing to confront them directly, suggesting a more issue-centered approach to leadership selection.
The Forum agreed that they must vote as a bloc to achieve their goals. They decided that they can only pursue their goals if they are in one solid political party, and they agreed that this solid political party can only be the African Democratic Congress (ADC). It is unclear whether Lawal has endorsed a candidate for the 2027 presidential election or not.
Lawal, who backed Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate, in the 2023 election, maintains that Obi was the "true winner" of the election. He believes that political realities have shifted since the 2023 election, and he mentioned several potential contenders for the 2027 presidential election, including Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, and Atiku Abubakar.
The aim of the Forum is to bring unity to the north. Lawal emphasized that the decision on who should lead Nigeria should go "beyond partisan loyalty or ethnic sentiment," and he highlighted the need for the northern region to unite behind a candidate who understands its unique challenges and is willing to address them directly. This marks a departure from the 2023 election’s criteria, which Lawal implies were less centered on these personal and justice-related considerations and more on political calculations existing at that time.
However, the specific differences in criteria that Lawal refers to for choosing the next president have not been detailed in this article. The Forum's meetings are ongoing, and it is expected that more information about their plans and objectives will be revealed in the coming weeks and months.
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