Babachir Lawal, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has stated that President Bola Tinubu experienced bouts of depression prior to the APC presidential primary. According to Lawal, Tinubu was anxious because of widespread rumors suggesting that former President Muhammadu Buhari was supporting a different candidate.
During an interview on Symfoni TV, Lawal explained that after Buhari recovered from health challenges, a leadership vacuum emerged. Opportunistic individuals took advantage of this by telling various aspirants that they could secure the former president’s endorsement in exchange for large payments, claiming they had influence over those closest to Buhari.
Lawal noted that while he repeatedly told Tinubu these claims were baseless and urged him to consult Buhari personally, the then-aspirant remained hesitant. Lawal remarked that Tinubu was afraid of the former president and preferred not to confront him directly. Instead, they relied on Chief Bisi Akande, an APC chieftain highly respected by Buhari, to verify the information. Akande would speak with the former president and report back to Tinubu, confirming that the rumors of other endorsements were false.
