10 important revelations Babachir Lawal made about Tinubu and Nigeria in an explosive interview

• Former SGF Babachir Lawal launched a scathing attack on President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of abandoning democratic ideals, favouring Lagos in appointments and projects, and centralising power.

• Lawal also criticised Nigeria's judiciary and public finance system, alleging political interference in the courts, excessive executive control over public funds and weakening democratic institutions, while stressing these were his personal views and allegations.

• Beyond politics, the interview offered rare personal insights, with Lawal sharing stories about Tinubu's lifestyle and his decades-long friendship with former President Muhammadu Buhari, including how Buhari reportedly paid his seminary school fees.

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has delivered what is arguably his most explosive interview since falling out with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

For nearly 30 minutes, the former Tinubu ally spoke freely about the president, accusing his administration of sidelining parts of the country, weakening democratic institutions and mishandling public funds. 

But he also sprinkled the conversation with personal stories, revealing what Tinubu allegedly eats for breakfast, what he used to smoke and why he still holds former President Muhammadu Buhari in such high regard.

Whether you agree with him or not, Lawal made plenty of headlines. Here are the moments that stood out.

Lawal began the interview with a statement that instantly set the tone.

According to him, the Tinubu he once knew as Lagos governor is completely different from the man currently occupying Aso Rock.

"Bola the democrat is now Bola the dictator," he declared, adding that the president now pursues his interests "whether he's democratic or not".

Coming from someone who actively supported Tinubu's presidential ambition, it was perhaps the strongest criticism he made throughout the interview.

Lawal said he threw his weight behind Tinubu because of what he saw during his years as governor of Lagos.

He recalled how Tinubu appointed commissioners from different states and ethnic groups, describing him as someone who understood Nigeria's diversity.

"I thought that if this man brings this blueprint to Nigeria, it's very important that somebody can work with people from other places," he said.

But according to Lawal, that expectation has been shattered.

"Suddenly he comes to Abuja, and all he sees is Yoruba. Even in Yoruba, all he sees is Lagos."

According to him, federal appointments, infrastructure projects and government attention have become concentrated around people closest to the president.

He summed up his disappointment by asking: "So what happened to the Bola we knew?"

READ NEXT: Those whom the gods want to destroy they first make mad – Babachir hits Tinubu

The conversation then took a personal turn.

Lawal questioned whether Tinubu still has the capacity to continue governing, arguing that age and health inevitably affect performance.

In one of the interview's more striking moments, he said, "If I were him, I would face my problems now. He should pursue his health."

He did not provide medical evidence to support his remarks, and they remain his personal opinion.

Away from politics, Lawal shared details that many viewers probably weren't expecting.

According to him, Tinubu has never really been someone obsessed with luxury. Instead, he described a man who allegedly starts his day with a banana, or sometimes ogi (pap) and moi-moi, rather than lavish meals.

He also made another surprising claim.

"The only thing I know he likes very much is Silk cigarettes," Lawal said, although he quickly added that he doesn't know whether the president still smokes today.

It was one of the rare moments in the interview where politics gave way to personal memories.

Lawal didn't stop at criticising Tinubu's leadership style.

He alleged that government institutions are increasingly being used against opposition politicians, warning that Nigeria could be drifting towards one-party dominance.

Referring to the alleged weaponisation of state institutions, he said, "It's part of him now."

He argued that the president has always pursued his interests with singular focus, although he did not present evidence during the interview to substantiate those claims.

Lawal argued that many Nigerians have stopped believing politically sensitive judgements are delivered without outside influence.

His conclusion was blunt: "When the judiciary fails, where do you go?... It's now the major problem of the country."

According to him, once citizens lose confidence in the judiciary, democracy itself begins to suffer. 

He also linked Nigeria’s judicial corruption to a larger societal issue – the corrosion of values. He believes one word explains Nigeria's decline: "greed".

He went on to argue that Nigerians have become too focused on making money, saying the pursuit of wealth has gradually replaced integrity, dignity and public service.

In his view, that moral decline now affects almost every institution in the country.

Lawal didn't stop at questioning how the Presidency handled the controversy surrounding the purported fake government agency. 

He also suggested the president himself may have known more than has been publicly acknowledged.

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While discussing the matter, he questioned why the Chief of Staff personally addressed the allegations instead of leaving the issue to law enforcement agencies.

"When the Chief of Staff did a press conference disowning this agency... I smelt a rat," he said.

Although he acknowledged that there was no proof, Lawal went further by suggesting that, given what he described as the administration's pattern of governance, the president could have been aware of what was happening.

"Given the trajectory of this government and the way they do their things, there's still the possibility that the President was involved in this type of thing anyway," he said.

While he suggested that Femi Gbajabiamila should have stepped aside to aid the investigation, he did a double-think by making a case as to why he sees no reason for Femi Gbajabiamila to resign or step aside temporarily from his position. 

According to him, regardless of the action, Femi can manipulate the investigation. He said, “When I step aside, I step aside with my iPhone still in my hand and step aside with my connections, and then I can still manipulate the process.” 

Lawal drew one of the sharpest contrasts in the interview when he compared how former President Muhammadu Buhari handled allegations against him with how President Tinubu is handling the controversy involving his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Recalling his suspension as Secretary to the Government of the Federation in 2017 over allegations surrounding the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE), Lawal insisted Buhari did not personally orchestrate his removal.

Instead, he said the decision was announced by then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo while Buhari was away on medical leave.

"He was sick that day. He didn't come to the office. He was furious when he found out," Lawal claimed.

According to him, Buhari never called him to discuss the suspension afterwards because "that is his character".

Lawal contrasted that with the current administration's handling of allegations involving Gbajabiamila.

For Lawal, the difference between the two presidents is clear: he believes Buhari allowed institutions to act even when one of his closest officials was affected, whereas Tinubu has chosen to publicly stand by one of his most trusted aides.

READ ALSO: Buhari had no delegates from Katsina in 2014; Tinubu helped him win election - Lawal

Perhaps Lawal's biggest accusation centred on government spending.

He alleged that large amounts of public money are being spent outside the normal appropriation process.

"Bola doesn't believe in budget. The whole money is his own. He can deploy it anywhere he likes," he claimed. He also went further to call President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “self-centred.”

Lawal contrasted that with his experience serving under Buhari, where he said spending approvals were subjected to stricter scrutiny.

According to him, Buhari was careful not to approve spending that had not gone through the proper appropriation process.

Recalling his time as SGF, Lawal said he sometimes warned Buhari against approving proposals that lacked legal funding.

"I would say, 'Oga, this is not appropriated for.'... If you approve this thing, you are subject to impeachment."

He claimed Buhari would immediately withdraw such proposals. "He would say, 'Ah, kill the memo.'"

Another contrast came in how both leaders allegedly respond to advice.

Lawal recalled challenging Buhari while he headed the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), telling him he shouldn't personally interview drivers because it wasn't the job of the chairman.

Instead of taking offence, Buhari allegedly appreciated the honesty. "He said, 'You're the only person that can tell me this.'"

Lawal suggested that openness to criticism helped shape Buhari's leadership, implying that he doesn't see the same quality in Tinubu's administration today.

Not every part of the interview was about Tinubu.

Lawal also told the story of how he first met Muhammadu Buhari as a hungry military school student who wandered into his house looking for food.

That chance encounter, he said, blossomed into a friendship that lasted decades.

According to Lawal, Buhari later paid his seminary school fees and even gave him pocket money whenever he could.

It was a rare glimpse into a deeply personal relationship that many Nigerians probably never knew existed.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW BELOW

Why this interview is generating buzz

While many of his comments are opinions, allegations and personal recollections, not independent facts, they offer a revealing look at how far the relationship between the two men has deteriorated.

With political alignments already shifting ahead of the next election cycle, don't expect this interview to disappear from the conversation anytime soon.