Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has disclosed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar asked him to persuade Peter Obi to join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and accept the position of his running mate in the 2027 presidential election.

Babachir Lawal made the disclosure in an interview with Diaspora Digital Media while recounting events surrounding the opposition negotiations that preceded the eventual divergence of the Atiku and Obi camps.

According to him, Atiku personally contacted him and gave him the task of approaching Obi with the proposal.

“Atiku called me and told me that he wanted to work with me. He gave me a mission to convince Peter Obi to join the ADC and serve as his vice president,” Lawal said.

He said Atiku’s proposal included an arrangement under which the two would serve for four years and subsequently pursue a constitutional amendment to create a single six-year presidential term, which Obi would then benefit from.

“He explained that during their four-year term, they would amend the Constitution to a single six-year term, which Obi would benefit from. I went to Obi with this proposal, but Peter Obi said he was not interested,” he added.

Lawal’s account has, however, been disputed by Obi, who said he could not have rejected an offer that was never made to him.

The disclosure comes amid continuing political realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Lawal had earlier resigned from the ADC in June 2026, alleging irregularities in the party’s presidential primary that produced Atiku as its candidate. Atiku’s camp rejected the allegations.

Lawal subsequently joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in September and declared support for the party’s Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket. (Nigerian Tribune)

…Unveils 25-year plan to sustain transformation beyond individual administrations

The Enugu State Government has unveiled a 25-year development plan aimed at ensuring that the state’s ongoing transformation outlives individual administrations, with Governor Peter Mbah declaring that the government’s focus is shifting from simply delivering projects to building strong institutions and achieving lasting improvements in the lives of citizens.

Mbah made the declaration at the 2026 Enugu State Global Goals Week Symposium, held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, with the theme, “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation.”

Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the state’s development agenda was being deliberately aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that investments in infrastructure, human capital and critical services produced measurable and enduring impact.

He said the administration had continued to prioritise investments in education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, water, technology, security and other critical sectors, stressing that the projects were not ends in themselves but part of a broader strategy to build systems capable of sustaining development over the long term.

“Our objective is not merely to execute projects, but to build systems and institutions capable of delivering enduring development and ensuring that the transformation we are driving today is sustained beyond the tenure of any single administration,” Mbah said.

He said the 25-year development plan would provide continuity, guide long-term investments, strengthen institutions, expand economic opportunities, improve human capital and promote inclusive development across the state.

Mbah noted that the state’s commitment to the SDGs was reflected in the spread of development interventions across the 260 electoral wards, particularly through the Smart Green Schools and Primary Healthcare Centres.

He assured that the government would continue to strengthen institutions, improve service delivery and put in place mechanisms to sustain the development gains achieved under the administration.

In a welcome address, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Enugu State SDGs Focal Person, Onyinye Akubuilo-Okpalanma, said the state’s transformation must remain people-centred, inclusive and sustainable.

She said government programmes should be judged not simply by the number of projects completed or funds spent, but by their impact on residents, the opportunities created and the communities strengthened.

“The success of government programmes should not be measured only by the number of projects completed or the amount of money spent, but by the extent to which those interventions improve the daily lives of our people, expand opportunities and strengthen communities,” she said.

Akubuilo-Okpalanma called for stronger community participation, continuous monitoring, reliable data and greater transparency in public finance and project implementation. She also urged greater attention to vulnerable groups and sustained investment in education, primary healthcare and environmental protection.

She called on development partners, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, the private sector and community leaders to work with government to sustain development gains, stressing the importance of continuity, institutional memory and long-term planning.

“Enugu’s transformation will be judged not only by the projects visible today, but also by the quality of institutions, opportunities and services available to future generations,” she said.

In a keynote address titled “From Projects to Lasting Impact: Sustaining Enugu State’s Development Transformation,” former Minister of Information, Frank Nweke Jnr., commended the scale and pace of public investment in the state over the past three years.

Nweke said the Mbah administration had reported more than 1,500 kilometres of roads constructed or reconstructed, over 7,000 classrooms and 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres.

He also cited the 2025 budget, in which ₦837.9 billion, representing 86 per cent of the budget, was allocated to capital expenditure, while ₦320.6 billion, representing more than one-third of the total budget, was allocated to education.

He stressed that improved domestic revenue mobilisation was essential to sustaining ambitious development, noting that the financial capacity to fund projects, maintain public assets and support institutions was critical to long-term transformation.

“Projects can transform places, but strong institutions are necessary to ensure that the transformation endures,” Nweke said.

He identified five priorities for sustaining Enugu’s development: linking investments to clearly defined problems and measurable outcomes; embedding the SDGs in planning and budgeting; measuring outcomes rather than expenditure alone; providing for the maintenance of public assets from the outset; and strengthening institutions, professional capacity and accountability mechanisms.

In separate goodwill messages, the UNICEF Field Office, Enugu representative, Juliet Chiluwe; the Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Rt. Hon. Paul Nnajiofor; and Amb. Amaka Nweke commended the state’s development efforts and emphasised the need for inclusive, accountable and sustainable development that would continue to benefit present and future generations.

The event brought together government officials, development partners, traditional and community stakeholders, civil society representatives and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among other participants.