Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has claimed that President Bola Tinubu has changed significantly since assuming office, alleging that the president has “lost his soul” and no longer reflects the qualities many of his associates once admired.
Lawal made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.
Reflecting on his past relationship with Tinubu, the former SGF described the president as a generous politician who was known for helping people through difficult times without immediately demanding anything in return.
According to him, Tinubu possessed an unusual ability to identify individuals who could become politically valuable in the future and often invested in them long before receiving any benefit.
“So at that stage, he is somebody you can trust. He’s somebody you can like,” Lawal said.
“Bola Tinubu has given some people stupendous amount of money to help them out of crisis that I know firsthand, without expecting anything.”
Lawal further stated that Tinubu appeared to have a gift for recognising future political potential in people.
“He has a gift. I think it has to be a gift from God. He can see in you future returns for himself in advance. It’s almost prophetic. He believes that if he helps someone today, that person may become useful to him years later.
“And that type of help he will give you is what can stupefy you. He does things like that. A good man at that time, especially when people are in trouble,” he said.
However, Lawal argued that the president’s disposition has changed since taking office.
“But suddenly I don’t know what has happened. He has lost his soul,” he said.
“Yes, he has lost his soul. Having come into this government, he has lost his soul. Because he’s somebody that is in charge all the time, but suddenly it looks like he’s no more in charge.
“As long as he gets his own share of whatever he says he’s looking for, the rest can loot it and do whatever they want to do with it.”
The former SGF also claimed that many people who knew Tinubu before he became president no longer recognise his leadership style.
“It happens to every president, but in his own, it is a calamity. Everybody will tell you the Bola we knew is not the Bola we see now. We don’t see him again anymore anywhere.
“I wish he could go back to what he was before so that Nigeria would be great,” Lawal added.