Former Governor of Jigawa State and prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, strongly rejected the recent call by ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, urging opposition leaders to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP, made the appeal during an interview with BBC Hausa.
While he did not directly mention Lamido, El-Rufai invited several key opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, to join him in the new party.
In his own interview with BBC Hausa on Sunday, Lamido swiftly dismissed the invitation, calling it an insult.
He emphasized that the PDP, a party he played a significant role in founding, was the very platform that launched El-Rufai’s political career.
“The party we formed, the PDP, is the one that gave birth to El-Rufai.
“You’re not enough to make us leave the PDP,” Lamido stated.
He further criticized El-Rufai for a contradiction in his past statements, recalling that El-Rufai had once claimed there were no ‘adults’ in Nigerian politics.
“He once said that there are no adults in Nigeria in politics, but now he is calling on us to join him in the SDP,” Lamido remarked.
Lamido also questioned El-Rufai’s motives for his defection, suggesting that his decision to leave the APC and join the SDP was inconsistent with his previous statements.
“He said he told President Buhari about his decision to leave the APC, but now he is saying that he is one of the adults in Nigerian politics,” Lamido noted.
The former governor further emphasized his long-standing loyalty to the PDP, stating that if he had intended to leave the party, he would have done so much earlier, during the formation of the APC in 2014.
“If I was going to leave the PDP, I would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed,” he said.
Criticizing El-Rufai’s leadership approach, Lamido asserted that true leadership requires patience, vision, and a focus on the well-being of the people, rather than being driven by anger or selfish ambition.
“Leadership is done with patience and vision, and doing things for the peace of the followers and the country as a whole,” Lamido explained.
He advised El-Rufai to prioritize patriotism over personal grievances, adding, “What should be done is to put patriotism first, instead of showing anger towards someone.”
Lamido concluded by reaffirming the PDP’s commitment to rebuilding its strength after its defeat in the 2015 presidential election.
“The PDP has been working to rebuild its strength,” concluded.
