Sule Lamido, a former governor of Jigawa State has asked governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers to emulate his predecessors, Dr. Peter Odili, and Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who showed maturity after they lost the presidential tickets of their parties.
He said that it was uncultured for a younger person like Wike to say that an elderly person like the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar is lying.
Wike had at a press conference on Friday said the Abubakar and Lamido who he described as the former’s attack dogs have been lying against him.
Wike said that at the appointed time, he would speak on the developments in the Peoples Democratic Party.
But Lamido urged Wike to show maturity in handling issues resulting from the PDP’s presidential primary.
Speaking on the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC, Lamido said it would cause a great religious crisis in Nigeria.
He blamed the North for using fake religious propaganda to blackmail former President Goodluck Jonathan out of office.
In an exclusive interview with THISDAY, Lamido urged Wike to know that the presidential primary is over.
According to him, the process was the decision of the PDP and should not be seen as personal, stressing that the party is always supreme at all times.
Going down memory lane, Lamido said;
“A day to the PDP’s presidential convention, which Peter Odili of Rivers State was bound to win and was also bound to win the presidential election, he was stopped by the party which went on to nominate President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who did not even show interest.
“He was promised a vice presidential ticket and yet he was not given. He took everything as the mature man he is.
“Look at the APC, Vice President Osinbajo was humiliated; the Senate president was also humiliated and even his countryman, Amaechi was given the same treatment; they took it as mature men and did not go about complaining as Wike is doing. This is called maturity.
“Do you know why? This is because the party is supreme. You cannot be bigger than your party. Party is organic. The convention has come and gone. Osinbajo, Lawan and Amaechi have shown maturity because their party has spoken. If Wike is in the APC, will he be talking and behaving as he is doing now?
“When I say that the party is supreme, I mean that the PDP is an organic party. Many people defected to the APC in 2015, but the PDP remained strong because it is organic with root structures; it is not a one-man party. Wike should show maturity as the matter is no longer between him and Atiku. Atiku is now the PDP candidate; whatever he is doing now is not a fight against Atiku but the party. The party made him.
“Let him learn from his former boss, Peter Odili. He will tell him a story that is so touching because I have never seen a person who was cheated on and who was so denied as Peter Odili.
“The man is so humble, so tolerant. I mean he is everything good. Wike offered himself to be elected. I came from the old order that respects political party culture. His candidate for the governorship in Rivers State was imposed by him. Others wanted to be governor; have they reconciled? The guy he imposed won the governorship ticket at the congress. Who offended Wike? Did the convention offend Wike? How? There is no reconciliation. He is a party man and after the convention, he said the process was very credible. He said so.”
On the claim by Wike that Atiku lied, Lamido said: “Even at that, it is against our culture to openly call an elder a liar. It is not part of our culture – or to call some people his attack dogs. If he has not been using attack dogs on some persons, how does he know that others are attack dogs? Wike should show maturity,” Lamido added.
He also spoke on the APC Muslim-Muslim ticket, saying, “If you think you are appealing to the Muslims in the North, you will get the votes. Conversely in the South, they are saying no to it. So, either way, it’s a problem because it is not about Nigeria; it’s about interest. It’s about aspiration.
“It is my time; it is my time. He said so. I must have it; it is mine; it is my time. It’s his aspiration; it is not Nigerians’ aspiration. It is personal and he can now begin to look at how he can get that personal aspiration by using Shettima. Shettima is an excellent person. I know him very well. But you see he is being used for a political purpose,” he explained.
“If it was in 2007, it could have been okay. But now, religion is being promoted as a key player in the politics of today. So the mallams are talking about religion; the Christians are talking about religion. Nobody is talking about Nigeria anymore. Whatever he may likely secure from the North, he will lose it from the South. I don’t see this working for him,” Lamido added.
The former Jigawa State governor explained that the PDP would win the 2023 general election.
“I don’t see it in terms of Tinubu or the person of Atiku. I see it in terms of PDP and APC. PDP has a very strong history, founded by people with vision; people who believe in Nigeria, people who want the best for Nigeria and people who made sacrifices for Nigeria. Unlike APC – an amalgamation of various parties. So you see, to me, it’s not about the candidates, it’s about the parties called PDP and APC. APC has failed Nigerians. So I don’t see any threat Tinubu as a person can cause PDP or APC as a threat to the PDP.”
Reacting to the media reports that President Muhammadu Buhari was not aware that the terrorists threatened to kidnap him, Lamido said: “I am frightened that the man you elected as your president whom you bestowed all powers to secure you as a citizen, protect your unity, your prosperity and everything is not even aware of his security. It says a lot.
“I hope it’s not true. I pray it is not true. If it is true, it means we have no country. There is no Nigeria then. No wonder they (bandits) are everywhere. No wonder they attacked his bodyguards. There is no presidency, there is no government in Nigeria by this revelation,” Lamido said.
Speaking on Peter Obi’s chances, Lamido said: “It’s a nomenclature. There is a party. PDP is the party; Labour Party is a party. Even the APC is a party. So, what I am saying is this – travel to all parts of the country; go to Lagos; go to Oyo; go to Osun. There was the election in Osun State; what was the result for Labour Party?
“So that’s it. You need a structure first to carry you across. I don’t know how Labour Party can carry Obi across. I don’t think so. Remove Peter Obi, what do you have left in Labour Party? Nothing! In PDP remove any name, the party will remain because it is organic and it’s the people’s party. Obi would have remained in PDP. He is a good person and good material. He would have remained in the party that catapulted him to the national limelight. He was an APGA governor and nobody knew him in Nigeria.”
The former governor said that PDP and Jonathan were blackmailed out of office, explaining that the country is worse off for it than in 2015.
“In all issues, I think no matter how bad our government was under Jonathan, we were better, far better compared to what we have under Buhari. I am a Fulani man with my brother in the villa as a Fulani man; I don’t feel better than I was under Jonathan. Then I felt better, more secure; I felt more Nigerian; I felt comfortable than I am now under my fellow Fulani man in the presidency,” Lamido explained.
