2027: Babachir Lawal rules out creation of new political party

As the political landscape shifts in anticipation of the 2027 general elections, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has ruled out the creation of a new political party. Instead, he revealed that his coalition has opted to align with an already established party to pursue its electoral ambitions.

In an interview with Vanguard, Lawal explained that the coalition—which includes former APC stalwarts and other prominent political actors—decided against forming a new party due to legal complexities and time constraints. “We’ve resolved to join an existing party,” he said. “Key members have already stepped aside to accommodate new leadership, and we’re currently finalising appointments for roles like chairman, secretary, treasurer, and organising secretary.”

According to Lawal, the group initially explored two paths: registering a new party or merging with an existing one. After examining several parties—many of which were embroiled in internal conflicts or legal disputes—they ultimately chose a stable and inclusive platform. “We needed a party that is both structurally sound and open to integration,” he added.

Lawal also addressed recent claims connecting figures such as former governors Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai, PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi to a new party registration effort led by Dr. Usman Ardo of the League of Northern Democrats. Ardo has been pushing for the registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).

Distancing his coalition from that movement, Lawal accused Ardo of dropping names of influential politicians without their endorsement. “Ardo is acting independently. He has no mandate to speak for us or those leaders. We’re focused on a more practical approach given the short timeframe before 2027,” Lawal said.

He noted that the coalition consists of former ministers under President Buhari, disaffected APC members, and influential political operatives, including Atiku and Obi, though not in any official capacity representing their current parties.

Lawal further suggested that ongoing turbulence within the PDP could work in their favour. He speculated that if FCT Minister Nyesom Wike were to seize control of the PDP, the majority of dissenting voices in the party would likely defect to their coalition rather than join the APC. “If Wike takes over, 90% of anti-Wike PDP members won’t go to APC—they’ll come to us. That gives us a major edge,” he asserted.

He also confirmed that the legal groundwork for the merger is already well underway, with the host party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC) having met to facilitate leadership restructuring in anticipation of the coalition’s formal entry.

Crucially, Lawal emphasized that those joining are doing so as individuals, not as representatives of any former party structure, marking what he described as a clean slate for the emerging political movement.