A former governor of Jigawa State and erstwhile Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sule Lamido, has asserted that some persons in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
OsunDailyNG reports that Lamido asserted this during a recent interview with The Tribune.
Lamido, one of the founding fathers of the PDP, explained the internal crisis rocking the party and how the former ruling party is planning to win in the next general election.
Lamido believes that the PDP can regain its former position as a ruling party, however, he expressed regret that there are ‘moles’ in the now opposition party.
“It is a huge challenge. Are the Nigerian people willing? The issues of insecurity, of the economy, of poverty are all there. It is not about the PDP; what is the opinion of the Nigerian people? People have been hired to destroy the PDP, but we are making every effort because right now, we have people who are anti-PDP. Imagine people like Ortom (former Benue State governor) saying, ‘our leader, Wike, has said we will vote Tinubu in 2027’. Imagine someone in the PDP saying he is going to take a cue from Wike to vote for Tinubu in 2027. People who are in the PDP are also working for the APC and Tinubu. So, it is a very difficult thing. We are working hard to find people who share a similar concern because those in the party who are now in government are not on the same frequency with us,” Lamido noted.
Speaking further on the possibility of the PDP returning to power, Lamido acknowledged with a resounding yes, saying: “If you have those in government who share the same frequency with us, we can confidently say yes, but it depends on who you can you identify and we are doing that. We are working hard, but it is a huge task. It is going to be difficult with Tinubu, with his hold on the country, on the economy, and his audacity to say this is where I stand against Nigeria’s interest. It is something else.
“Tinubu is very daring; he is his own creation, he is a self-made man, right from Chicago, what he went through on the streets. Look at how he was able to fight the Alliance for Democracy and Afenifere and then Obasanjo. At the APC convention, Buhari was against him but he defeated Buhari. What are you talking about? Don’t underestimate a man like that. Look at how he made it in life. He confronted all obstacles to get to where he is today, at the apex.
“There is no Nigerian like Tinubu who has been there on his own. He demolished every established political arrangement and institution. Now that he is in charge, he is not going to be easy to deal with. With Tinubu, Nigeria is a fiefdom, and Tinubu is the emperor. And if you watch him closely, he doesn’t care.”
Tinubu Paid Governors At The Convention, Buhari Never Liked Him
Reflecting on the events before the 2023 general elections, Lamido alleged that Tinubu settled some state governors to get their backing for this presidential bid.
He further asserted that former President Muhammadu Buhari never liked the incumbent president and that the Daura-man had someone in mind to support for the ultimate political position.
Lamido said: “He paid the governors at the convention. Prior to the convention, he was in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he boasted that it was his turn to rule Nigeria. Buhari, who was very naive, was watching. He never liked Tinubu. There was somebody he wanted. He didn’t even trust his own vice president, Professor (Yemi) Osinbajo; he wanted Ahmed Lawan, but his calculation was absurd. You have done eight years for the North and you wanted another Northerner for another eight years?! No. Maybe later but there are some dynamics which you can’t alter, not in Nigeria of today.
“The president of Nigeria, after being in office for eight years, lacked the courage to push through his anointed choice. He was there at the convention, and Tinubu whom he never liked he never believed in, emerged.
“Tinubu knows that his victory wasn’t from Buhari. Therefore, he owes him nothing. He wasn’t Afenifere’s choice; Obasanjo never liked him, but he became president. All the other groups, including the governors, were there, but he won. He was determined to demolish all obstacles, and he crushed them.”
The Internal Crisis Are Not Peculiar To PDP Alone
When asked how he is dealing with the current challenges being faced by the PDP, considering his position as one of the people who birthed the party, Lamido responded, saying: “Why pick on the PDP in isolation from the Nigerian factor? PDP is an institution run by the Nigerian people. So, why do you think the PDP would be run differently? Tell me about an institution that is working well in Nigeria today. So, why treat the PDP in isolation?
“It is a Nigerian thing; whatever is happening in the PDP is happening everywhere else, in government institutions, even in newspaper organisations, wherever you see Nigerians. So, the PDP is a Nigerian phenomenon run by the Nigerian people, not by angels from heaven; therefore, it is the same spirit whether in the APC or the PDP. Even if you go to the APC, the people you find there are all PDP. So, let us look at it holistically. It has to do with the Nigerian spirit: our attitude, our behaviour, our culture as a people. Are we disciplined? As a people, are we patriotic? Are we patient? Are we tolerant? So long as we lack discipline, patience, tolerance or adherence to the rule of law, there will be a crisis, whether in PDP or APC.
“APC is there today because it can make noise. Ask Salihu Lukman, former National Vice Chairman, (North West) of the APC, about the party. So, the PDP is just a reflection of Nigerians’ attitudes and the character of Nigerians as a people. The question is, are the Nigerian people willing and ready to salvage the country? Is it about me or about us? So, if it is about me alone, what do you expect?”
