Babachir Lawal endorses Adebayo, says SDP candidate “will make an excellent President”

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir David Lawal, has thrown his weight behind Prince Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), describing the 2027 presidential hopeful as the standout candidate in the race, predicting that he “will make an excellent president.”

Speaking in a recent interview, Lawal — a prominent political voice in the North and a strong political name in Adamawa State — did not hold back in his assessment of Adebayo’s readiness for the nation’s top office, setting him apart from the field of contenders jostling for position ahead of the 2027 general election.

“If I had my way, that boy, Adewole Adebayo of the SDP — he is the only number one. I would give him 100 percent,” Lawal said.

“Have you listened to him on television, on the basis of his speech, the way he talks? He will make an excellent president”, he stressed.

The former SGF, who served under the late President Muhammadu Buhari between 2015 and 2017, pointed to Adebayo’s youthfulness and grasp of economic and social realities as key qualifications, describing him as a leader in tune with what ordinary Nigerians are going through at a time of biting economic hardship and widespread public frustration with the political class.

“He’s youthful, he understands the economy, he understands what the society is going through,” Lawal said.

Lawal, however, tempered his praise with a note of caution, expressing hope that Adebayo would govern with humility should he ascend to the presidency — a remark that appeared to draw an implicit contrast with other political figures he has worked with or observed over his decades-long career in public service.

“I hope he’s humbled. I wouldn’t know that, but I hope he’s not just a typical Yoruba man like my friend,” he said, without naming the “friend” in question.

“But Adebayo will make a good president.”, he insisted.

A weighty endorsement from an unlikely quarter.

Lawal’s comments carry particular significance given his own turbulent political trajectory in recent years. A former stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and SGF, Lawal later decamped to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other members of the coalition that sought to challenge the ruling party ahead of 2027.

He has since fallen out with the ADC leadership and currently holds no party affiliation — a position that analysts say lends his endorsement an air of independence rather than partisan obligation.

Despite lacking a party platform of his own, Lawal remains a politically consequential figure, particularly in the North.

His name continues to carry weight in Adamawa State, his home turf, and among segments of the northern political establishment that have grown increasingly disillusioned with the offerings of the two dominant parties, the APC and the PDP.

Adebayo’s growing cross-regional appeal

For the SDP and the Adebayo campaign, an endorsement of this nature — unsolicited, candid, and from a figure with no obvious incentive beyond personal conviction — offers a potentially valuable signal.

Adebayo, a lawyer and public affairs commentator, who ran as the SDP’s presidential candidate in 2023, has built his political brand around economic literacy, plain-spoken communication, and a break from what he has often described as the “recycled” leadership of Nigeria’s major parties.

Lawal’s remarks suggest that this messaging may be resonating beyond Adebayo’s traditional base in the South-West, reaching political figures and constituencies in the North who have historically aligned with the APC or PDP. Whether the endorsement translates into organized support on the ground in Adamawa or the wider North remains to be seen, but political observers say such comments — from a figure still widely consulted in northern political circles — could feed into the broader narrative around Adebayo’s candidacy as the 2027 race takes shape.