Former Jigawa State Governor and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has issued a stern warning to the party leadership, stating that the PDP may be forced into pursuing major alliances if ongoing efforts to resolve its persistent internal crisis fail to yield positive results. Speaking while hosting Jigawa State PDP stakeholders and party leaders in his Kano office, Lamido stressed the critical need for urgent reconciliation to prevent the party from further decline and loss of political ground, especially ahead of the next general election cycle.
Lamido disclosed that he has been engaged in extensive consultations with other major party figures, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, to draw up strategies for reconciliation. These efforts include plans to engage with PDP governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, indicating a broad attempt to broker peace across various factions and power centers within the party.
The former governor emphatically warned the party hierarchy that failure to achieve genuine internal reconciliation would inevitably lead to a situation where the PDP would have no alternative but to explore alliances—a strategic consolidation—as opposed to mere coalitions. Lamido was careful to differentiate between the two, suggesting that an alliance would involve a more fundamental realignment of political forces, a move he believes would significantly reshape Nigeria’s political landscape. He appealed to members to set aside personal ego, insisting that despite its current challenges, the PDP remains the most influential political platform in the country.
Lamido further lamented the declining electoral fortunes of the party, citing the dismal result in Kano State during the last general elections, where the PDP reportedly secured only about 15,000 votes, a clear indication of the internal decay and loss of grassroots support. He attributed the party’s poor performance and the defection of key members, including the former vice-presidential candidate, to internal rivalry and unresolved conflicts, alleging that these internal divisions have largely and unnecessarily benefited the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Lamido also criticized the success of political alignments in the South-West, which he claims were unfairly boosted by the exploitation of tribal sentiments to the APC’s advantage.
Earlier in the meeting, the Jigawa State Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Babandi Ibrahim, confirmed the purpose of the gathering, acknowledging that the party was currently in a state of uncertainty or “limbo” due to the lingering leadership crisis. He noted that despite the internal efforts, the names of Damagum and Anyanwu remain the recognized leaders on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) platform.
