Former Jigawa State Governor and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sule Lamido, has threatened to take legal action against the party if he is not granted access to purchase nomination forms ahead of the forthcoming national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Lamido, while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday after his attempts to obtain the PDP National Chairman nomination form proved unsuccessful, disclosed that both the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature, were involved in the matter.
During its 102nd National Executive Committee meeting held on August 25 in Abuja, the Peoples Democratic Party agreed to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South while allocating the position of National Chairman to the North.
Following this decision, Northern leaders met over the weekend and further micro-zoned the chairmanship position to the North-West.
Subsequently, Northern PDP governors, led by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, along with 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 party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that they were not consulted before the endorsement.
In a separate development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is reportedly supporting 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 to sell him the nomination forms for the National Chairman position, as most offices were locked.
Although the National Convention Organising Committee, chaired by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, has been operating from the annex office at Legacy House in Maitama, Abuja, Lamido maintained that the forms should have been made available 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 form, Lamido said, “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 such announcement, describing the matter as a family affair without controversy or division.
He explained that he went to Wadata Plaza based on tradition, but since the process is now handled by the Convention Committee led by Fintiri, he may have to go to Adamawa to get 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 stated that his primary goal is to see the PDP rebuilt into a stable and united family capable of staying focused on the larger mission of rescuing Nigeria and Nigerians from the APC.
The former Jigawa State Governor rejected the governors’ consensus arrangement, stating that it was reached without any form of 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.”