Endorsement of Obi: Babachir Lawal is on his own – Northeast APC chieftains

One of the chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the North-east region of Nigeria, Ahmad Sajo, has disagreed with Babachir Lawal, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) over his claim about Northern Christians being marginalised.

POLITICS NIGERIA had reported that Lawal said aggrieved Northern Christian members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are behind Peter Obi (Labour Party) because they believe in his capacity to win the 2023 presidency and also be a fitting leader.

Sajo, a former Commissioner for Information in Adamawa State, played down the “electoral value” of Lawal.

“The whole thing about politics is about electoral value, it is not about assurances in the media,” Sajo said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.

“He (Lawal) is saying Adamawa is a Christian state. It is a fallacy. We are almost 50-50 and we’ve lived harmoniously.

“Sometimes when we get emotional, we make statements that we cannot naturally defend.”

In a similar vein, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as well as other members of a northern Christian group, which has persistently kicked against a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, have disowned Lawal over his endorsement of Obi.

In a recent statement jointly signed by the APC chieftain and seven others, titled: “Dogara, Babachir Lawal-led Northern APC Members Dump Bola Tinubu, Declare Support For Peter Obi,” the group stressed that no such decision had been taken.