Former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, has accused Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors of hindering his attempt to contest for the party’s national chairmanship.
Lamido claimed the governors refused to give him a nomination form and ignored a court order directing the party to allow him to participate in the race.
In an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Lamido said the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, personally called him, urging him to step down. According to Lamido, the governors feared he would act independently if elected chairman.
“Bala, the governor of Bauchi, called and said, ‘My elder brother, you are stronger than us. If we make you chairman, we can’t influence you,’” Lamido revealed. He added that he reminded the governor about the party’s long history, saying, “When PDP was formed, you were not there. The party with history should not be controlled by one person.”
Lamido explained that even after obtaining a court order compelling the PDP to admit him into the race, the governors still refused to comply and instead filed an appeal. He described the leadership that emerged from the recent convention, which saw Tanimu Turaki named national chairman, as unacceptable.
“That convention is null and void,” Lamido stated, stressing that the process lacked fairness and credibility. He urged senior stakeholders, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to intervene and help reorganise the party.
The former governor added that the PDP must return to its founding values to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy and promote national development. He called for renewed focus on transparency, inclusiveness, and adherence to party principles.
