Former Governor of Jigawa State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has threatened to initiate legal proceedings against the party if he is not allowed to purchase nomination forms ahead of the forthcoming national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday after his failed attempt to obtain the PDP National Chairman nomination form, Lamido disclosed that the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature, were involved in the issue.
During its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held on August 25 in Abuja, the Peoples Democratic Party resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while assigning the position of National Chairman to the North.
Following this resolution, Northern leaders convened over the weekend and further micro-zoned the chairmanship slot to the North-West.
Subsequently, Northern PDP governors, led by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, alongside other party leaders, endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the consensus candidate for National Chairman from the North.
However, some Northern stakeholders reportedly loyal to Lamido and led by the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that they were excluded from the consultation process before the endorsement.
In another development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is said to be backing his ally, former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, for the same position.
Lamido, who arrived at the PDP National Headquarters, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, with his supporters shortly after 11 a.m., was unable to find any party officials available to sell him the nomination forms for the National Chairman position, as most of the offices were locked.
Although the National Convention Organising Committee, headed by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, has been operating from the annex office at Legacy House in Maitama, Abuja, Lamido insisted that the forms should have been made accessible to him at the Wadata headquarters.
He stated, “Well, let me be very clear. You see, PDP is a family of wonderful Nigerians who share a similar commitment to Nigeria and democracy. So, coming here is like coming home, to the family. There’s nothing new about it.
“Secondly, because we are now going into a convention, and by the party constitution, sales of forms are normally at the party headquarters, I came here to purchase my own form. That’s why I’m here,” he said.
Speaking on his inability to obtain the form, Lamido explained, “I went to the office of the National Organising Secretary, which is normally the office where the forms are sold, and the office was locked. I think it was officially locked, you know, because of his own position.
“So, I met him with the Secretary of the Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. I said, ‘Look, I’m here to buy the form.’ Both of them said they had no idea where the forms are, not even how they were printed or the kind of forms they are. They had no idea where they were being sold.
“So, I found it a little bit weird that the custodian of the system, who is the National Organising Secretary, is also being locked out. So, they may not be able to go into the office.”
Lamido said he was unaware of any public announcement on the issue, describing it as a family matter without any controversy or division.
He explained that he had gone to Wadata Plaza based on party tradition, but since the Convention Committee led by Fintiri was now managing the process, he might have to travel to Adamawa to obtain the form.
He added, “No, the closing date for sales of forms has been extended. In any case, all decisions of the party must be done by the NEC. You know, any change of date or time must be approved by the NEC.
“But somehow, I think the entire function of the NEC has been taken over by individuals. And therefore, we’ll find out how it’s going to work out.
“I am an optimist. You know, it’s a family thing. We’ll never fight, no matter what, because we want to win the election. If we fight, we’ll lose. You know, our opponents are outside. APC and their evil system. APC, not PDP. So, if you don’t have an organised house with a very, very organised force, how do you fight it out?
“That is why I am trying to buy the form. And if I don’t get the form, I will go to court, simple. The PDP should be able to organise its own house, to run the party based on the policies of the party, doing the right thing at all times.
“The only way we can win is by having a party that is disciplined. If the party is not organised, if we don’t follow our own constitution and procedures, how do we win elections?”
Lamido emphasised that his main objective was to help rebuild the PDP into a stable and united organisation capable of focusing on the broader mission of rescuing Nigeria and its citizens from the APC.
The former Jigawa State Governor rejected the governors’ consensus arrangement, asserting that it was reached without any proper consultation.
Lamido stated, “If there are consultations, there can be consensus. But if there are no consultations, then we are not united on board. I mean, the zone which I came from, we never met.
“We were supposed to meet on Wednesday. And I think the Governor of Zamfara booked the hall at Hilton, right? For us from the Northwest to meet to be able to come out with that kind of understanding. But then, to preempt our meeting, they fixed a meeting for Tuesday, to preempt our own meeting on Wednesday.
“So, we never met. The zone never met. That’s the problem.”
