Peter Obi ally Babachir Lawal backs Atiku’s to win 2023 polls

Babachir Lawal, an Adamawa-born politician has predicted victory for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections after he had earlier predicted the polls will go into a run-off.

According to Babachir, the former vice president will sweep the votes in the North where he hails from.

The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation is a former chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress who switched camp to support Peter Obi of the Labour Party.

Speaking in an interview with Peoples Gazette on Thursday, December 8, Babachir asserted that “Atiku will sweep the northern states and obtain the required 25 per cent in all states and the FCT.”

Explaining the rationale behind his projection, Mr Lawal said “The 2023 election has gone fully tribal and people are likely to vote along ethnic lines.

“Yoruba will for a candidate from the West, (Asiwaju Bola Tinubu) of the All Progressives Congress; Igbo will vote candidate from the East, (Peter Obi of the Labour Party) and Hausa will vote for a candidate from the north, (Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party).

Until recently, Mr Lawal was a strong ally of Mr Tinubu but he fell out with the latter of his decision to choose a Muslim running mate, Kashim Shettima. Mr Lawal, an acclaimed pastor, maintained that the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket is a grave slight on northern Christians and would not stand.

Last week, he officially announced his support for Mr Obi, saying the Labour Party flag bearer and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed represented a national agenda that befit multi-ethnic, religion-diverse Nigeria.

“We want Obi to win this election, and must win this election. If we lose this election, we’ll migrate to Cameroon because of the shame and failure to win… Peter Obi must win this election,” Mr Lawal said days ago.

NBA