Babachir Lawal: Buhari found Yorubas hard to manage, tried to use me then threw me under bus
Former SGF Babachir Lawal claims in an Arise Television Prime Time interview Monday night that ex-President Buhari struggled to manage Yorubas and attempted to use him as intermediary due to Lawal's relationships with Tinubu and APC founder Bisi Akande. Lawal states Buhari 'threw him under the bus' despite later reconciling, noting Buhari would call to seek his opinions. Lawal served as SGF from August 27, 2015 to October 30, 2017, suspended April 19, 2017 over a Senate probe into the 'grass cutting' contract scandal involving N500 million allegedly diverted from humanitarian funds in Yobe State through his-linked company Global Vision Limited. Buhari terminated his appointment October 30, 2017, replacing him with Boss Mustapha. Lawal maintains there remained 'some sort of human relationship' and that Buhari never fully let him go. This revelation offers insight into Buhari-era ethnic politics within the APC and contextualizes current Tinubu presidency dynamics given Lawal's acknowledged ties to the president. What does this historical account reveal about managing ethnic diversity in Nigerian leadership, and how might such lessons inform approaches to national unity today?