Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has reaffirmed his decision to take legal action against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stating that his primary aim was to reclaim his right to contest for party leadership positions.
He clarified that the move was not a challenge to the party’s authority but a personal struggle to restore his dignity.
Speaking on Friday, November 14, Lamido emphasized that his court case stemmed from personal conviction rather than political rivalry.
“I went to court not because I have anybody in mind, but I went to get my rights back taken by my party. The issue is just about my own personality, dignity and honour being restored more than anything else or being in the court,” he said.
The former governor expressed sadness over the growing mistrust within the PDP, describing the party as a once-unified political family now plagued by internal conflict.
“I won the case, fair enough, but then again, it is also equally tormenting that the case I won is about my party, about our unity, family. A family that was so united and cohesive, with so much love and trust, is all eroded, and we are now simply fighting. And I feel very sad; let the problem be solved,” he added.
Lamido noted that he could not withdraw the suit because it had already produced a judicial decision. Consequently, he said he would not participate in the national convention slated for Saturday, November 15 and Sunday, November 16, in Ibadan.
He explained his stance, saying: “This is very clear. For someone saved by the court, I can’t go where there is an injunction on the convention. How do I go there again? Am I now renouncing something I gained in the court?”
He continued, “If I go to the convention, then it means whatever I have gotten has been washed away. There is a certain order from the court which restored my dignity, and therefore I will stand by the court because I am a party man who believes in law and order. Therefore, going to Ibadan means a renunciation of what I have gotten. The court gave a very clear injunction that the convention must not hold, so how do I go there? I can’t go there,” he clarified.
Dismissing rumours of secret meetings with governors, Lamido accused PDP governors of contributing to the crisis by misinterpreting their roles within the party.
“PDP had 14 governors; today, there are only three left. We were 14 governors under the chairmanship of the PDP governors’ forum under Bala Mohammed, Bauchi State Governor. Under [Umar] Damagum today, we are only three. Even the three, two of them are going. I mean, the problem came from the governors, because they are so eroded, because they have a wrong notion of themselves. That they are now in charge,” he said.
Although Lamido maintained he was not desperate to become national chairman, he insisted he had the capacity to help rebuild the PDP and restore its lost structure.
His legal battle followed an October incident in which he was unable to obtain the nomination form after visiting the PDP national secretariat. He said he was told by National Secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and Organising Secretary Umar Bature that they had no information regarding the availability of the forms.
Meanwhile, the legal tussle surrounding the PDP’s planned convention intensified with conflicting rulings from courts in Oyo and Abuja. An Oyo State High Court adjourned its decision on a preliminary objection questioning its jurisdiction in a suit filed by party member Folahan Adelabi, while allowing preparations for the convention to continue.
In contrast, the Federal High Court in Abuja issued a final order halting the convention. Justice Peter Lifu ruled in favour of Lamido, directing that the gathering be suspended until he is granted access to purchase the nomination form for national chairman.
As tensions rose, former Senate President Bukola Saraki urged the PDP to suspend the convention and establish a caretaker committee to restore stability and rebuild trust among aspirants.
Despite these developments, PDP governors and major stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Thursday, November 13, insisted that the convention would proceed as planned, describing November 15 and 16 as irrevocable dates.
Delegates have since arrived in Ibadan, where the Lekan Salami Stadium has been fully prepared for the event.
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