The national leadership of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has urged former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, to sheath his sword and support ongoing efforts to stabilise the party.
The appeal follows Lamido’s recent interview with the BBC Hausa Service, in which he criticised the party’s handling of its leadership crisis and referenced a court case he instituted on the matter.
Reacting to the comments, Umar Sani, a close associate of the PDP National Chairman, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), said many of the claims made by the former governor were inaccurate and needed clarification.
According to Sani, Lamido’s assertion that the PDP violated court directives during its national convention is incorrect. He explained that no court barred the party from holding the convention. Instead, the court only directed the PDP to allow Lamido to participate in the contest after proper verification an order the party has already appealed at the Supreme Court.
Sani added that a separate court sitting in Ibadan granted the PDP explicit permission to conduct the convention. He noted that the exercise produced new national officers, contrary to Lamido’s claim that the party currently lacks legitimate leadership.
He appealed to Lamido to show maturity and place the unity of the party above personal grievances.
“Sule Lamido is a founding father of the PDP. At this critical moment, what the party needs is cohesion, not prolonged litigation,” Sani said.
“If we remain trapped in court battles, victory will continue to elude us.”
The PDP leadership also encouraged Lamido to work closely with Chairman Turaki, stressing that both men have enjoyed cordial relations in the past and can still help steer the party away from internal strife.
This appeal comes at a time when the PDP is grappling with internal disputes and public criticism over its handling of recent electoral and administrative challenges.
