Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has shared personal details about President Bola Tinubu’s lifestyle.
The former SGF described him as a man with simple habits who was particularly fond of Silk cigarettes.
Lawal made the remarks during a recent interview with Symfoni.
Speaking on Tinubu’s ability to handle the demands of the president’s office, he argued that there is need for Tinubu to prioritise his health. “He is not a healthy man. Nigerians are not fooled when he is always in France. Nigerians are not fooled.”
He added, “I have said before that he should focus on his health. He has become President now; hopefully, that is enough. But I don’t think he can do more. There are many examples showing that when age and declining health set in, your performance runs down exponentially. If I were him, I would focus on my health now.”
Speaking about Tinubu’s daily routine, Lawal said the President was never someone who lived an extravagant lifestyle or paid much attention to food.
“Do you know something? Bola is not even someone who enjoys food. He wakes up in the morning, sees bananas in the living room, eats them with groundnuts, and that is his breakfast. Sometimes they bring him pap with moi moi,” he said.
When asked whether Tinubu also ate akara, Lawal replied, “No, I have never seen akara. It is usually pap and moi moi. I have been there many times and sometimes even joined him.”
The former SGF went on to reveal that Tinubu had a strong liking for Silk cigarettes.
“The only thing I know he likes very much is Silk cigarettes,” Lawal said. Asked if the President smoked, he responded, “He smokes. I don’t know whether he still does now… I don’t know whether he still does now, but he liked Silk cigarettes very much. He could hardly do without them.”
Lawal also dismissed claims that Tinubu amassed wealth for a luxurious lifestyle, insisting that the President was not someone who enjoyed material comforts.
“So I don’t understand why people accuse him of amassing so much wealth. He is not going to enjoy it. He doesn’t even live extravagantly,” he said.
Recalling his visits to Tinubu before he became President, Lawal said he often criticised the APC leader’s casual appearance, revealing that Tinubu would readily pose for photographs in his pyjamas.
“Before he became President, he did not pay much attention to dressing well. I used to criticise him over it. If you visited Bola’s house in the morning and asked for a photograph, he would happily pose in his pyjamas, looking unkempt, and people would post the pictures online. There was a time I kept telling his aides not to allow him take photographs until he was properly dressed. He is not someone who revels in luxury,” he stated.
Lawal also spoke about security procedures at the Presidential Villa, saying visitors are required to surrender their mobile phones before meeting the President. According to him, gaining access to the President (Muhammadu Buhari) became more difficult after he left office as SGF because he had to return his official access card.
“Once you enter the Presidential Villa, they collect your phones. They treat them as though they are dangerous. Someone keeps the phones, and if they don’t want you to see the President, you simply won’t see him,” he said.
He added that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari disliked seeing him wear a temporary visitor’s pass after he left office.
“After I left office as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, I surrendered my access card. Suddenly, if I wanted to see the President, I had to go through the normal process and wear a temporary visitor’s pass. Buhari hated seeing that pass on me. He would ask, ‘Why are you wearing this access card?’ I would tell him, ‘I surrendered my official card. It expired after four years.’ He would then tell people, ‘Make sure Babachir gets his card back.’ But they never did.”
Recall that Lawal earlier revealed that the late Buhari initially expressed concerns about Tinubu’s educational background and genealogy but later acknowledged the critical role Tinubu played in helping him secure the APC presidential ticket and ultimately win the 2015 presidential election.
He had also credited Tinubu with mobilising campaign funds, financing then vice-presidential candidate Yemi Osinbajo’s campaign, hiring foreign political consultants and helping build the political coalition that brought the APC to power in 2015.
