Lamido Blasts PDP Governors Over Chairmanship Blockade

Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has launched a scathing critique against the sitting governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of orchestrating a calculated blockade to sabotage his bid for the party’s national chairmanship. The allegations, made public during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, suggest a deep rift between the party’s founding generation and its current executive office holders.

Lamido revealed that his efforts to contest the national chairmanship were actively thwarted, claiming the PDP governors refused to issue him a nomination form. This refusal, he argued, persisted even after he secured a court order that specifically directed the party to allow him to participate in the race.

The former governor directly implicated the party’s most powerful bloc, asserting that the governors viewed him as an unacceptable candidate due to his history and political independence. He cited a personal communication from the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.

Lamido recounted that Governor Mohammed candidly called him and requested him to step down from the contest. The reason given was a fear that he would be too influential and autonomous if elected to the top party post.

According to Lamido, the Bauchi Governor’s words were, “‘My elder brother, you are stronger than us. If we make you chairman, we can’t influence you.’” This statement, Lamido argues, exposes a desire by the governors to control the party’s leadership.

In response to this assertion of control, Lamido reminded Governor Mohammed of the party’s foundational principles and long history. He stressed that the PDP’s heritage extends beyond the tenure of the current state chief executives.

“I told him, ‘When PDP was formed, you were not there. The party with history should not be controlled by one person,’” Lamido recalled, challenging the notion of gubernatorial dominion over the party structure.

Lamido further explained that despite obtaining a clear court injunction compelling the PDP to accept his candidacy, the governors demonstrated outright defiance. He lamented that instead of obeying the court directive, the governors simply filed an appeal against the order, prolonging the dispute.

The former governor completely rejected the outcome of the recent party convention, which saw Tanimu Turaki emerge as the new national chairman. He stated that because the entire process was flawed and violated court orders, the leadership transition was illegitimate.

Lamido unequivocally dismissed the convention’s legitimacy, declaring, “That convention is null and void.” This stance positions him as a strong internal opposition to the current party structure.

He consequently appealed to senior stakeholders within the PDP, particularly mentioning former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to urgently intervene in the matter. Lamido believes these respected figures must help reorganize the party and steer it back to its original ideological course.

He concluded his critique by emphasizing that the PDP needs to return to its core founding values. This internal re-alignment, he insisted, is essential not just for the party’s own survival, but for strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and ultimately driving national development.