A former governor of Jigawa State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has said the survival of the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections will depend on the choice of its presidential candidate. In this interview with Weekend Trust, Lamido spoke on speculations about his possible alliance with former President Goodluck Jonathan, the chances of the PDP and why he believes the wrong candidate could undermine the coalition’s strength.

Former President Obasanjo, who is widely regarded as your leader, is being speculated to have nominated you as a potential running mate for former President Jonathan ahead of the 2027 elections; is that true?

That is a very amusing piece of news. I am hearing it from you for the first time. OBJ was my president, my political leader in government; and politically, he remains my leader.

Our relationship is deeply intertwined; it cannot be understood from the outside. So, when something is ascribed to OBJ that I have not heard from him, I question its basis. If such a thing were true, I believe I would have heard it directly from him, not you. Your speculation is purely rhetorical.

Why do you say so?

Because you are seeking an answer where there is no basis for one. I will not respond to rhetorical questions.

But if the opportunity comes; if OBJ moves in that direction, is it something you would consider?

That is another hypothetical question. On this particular matter, because it concerns me directly, I will not answer you. I may respond to other hypothetical questions, but not this one. It is speculative, rhetorical and I will not engage with it.

Many people want clarity because of your political clout and presence in the North-West, and they believe you should be at the forefront if opposition parties are to balance their ticket. That is why they are keen to know if you would be open to such an opportunity.

Thank you very much for the effort to flatter me. I am pleased that Nigerians see something in me that is worth noticing. I feel highly honoured.

Would you consider it?

As I said, the issue touches directly on me and I maintain it is hypothetical. I can answer other questions, but on this one, which is purely speculative and rhetorical, I will not go further.

Two weeks ago, you granted an interview where you described former President Jonathan as a very good candidate for the opposition in 2027. But last week, the national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, which is the official structure of Peter Obi’s supporters, said Jonathan should give way to Obi, arguing that the former Anambra governor is the most popular opposition figure. Are you standing by your position on Jonathan or reconsidering it in the light of this?

He is free to hold and express his opinion, just as I am free to have mine. Why should it be different? In a democracy, we are entitled to see issues differently and express divergent views.

But looking at the 2023 election results and the momentum Obi’s movement has gathered over the years; do you think he has what it takes to defeat President Bola Tinubu if he secures the ticket of the opposition or a coalition?

Let us remain focused. The real issue in 2027 is the All Progressives Congress (APC) government. It is a government that has proved terribly incompetent, one that embodies insecurity, corruption and multiple crises. The country today is in shambles because of APC’s failures.

The focus, therefore, must be on removing the APC government – that is the priority. If we start introducing names and personalities into the conversation now, we risk losing sight of the main goal.

I have nothing personal against Bola Tinubu. He is my president as a Nigerian, and so, I am concerned. But the reality is that this APC government has made life unbearable for Nigerians. That is why the focus should be on how to remove them in 2027.

When we talk about saving Nigeria, we must look at all the options and determine who the best candidate is for the country. It could be Jonathan, Atiku, Tambuwal, Amaechi – anyone. The priority is to unite around the common issue: saving Nigeria.

How should the opposition coalition go about identifying the most qualified candidate? What criteria should they use?

What we have today is largely a coalition of individuals, unlike in 2014 when it was a coalition of strong political institutions. Back then, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) under Tinubu was cohesive and organised. The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) under Buhari was also a strong, organic institution. There were also PDP governors, along with the Senate president and the House speaker from the party, who joined the coalition. The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) governors came in with their party structures. So, the 2014 coalition was made up of powerful political organs that wanted the PDP out of power. They used blackmail, coercion and intimidation.

Jonathan was attacked personally, called clueless; even his wife was insulted. It was never really about PDP’s failure because the party was doing well. Nigeria was stable after June 12 under the PDP. What happened in 2014 was a coalition of desperados who blackmailed the PDP by associating it with corruption and Boko Haram; and they played on Nigerians’ emotions to flush it out of power.

But ask yourself today: since 2015, has anything changed under the APC? Are Nigerians better off now than under Jonathan and the PDP? The answer is no. The APC has failed completely. That coalition was not for Nigeria, it was for selfish interests.

Unfortunately, today’s coalition seems reactionary. And many of those driving it are the same people who spearheaded the 2014 coalition – El-Rufai, Amaechi and others. They are now rallying against their own failures.

For me, the issue should be Nigeria’s security, stability, unity and progress. Nigeria is a key player globally. We are the largest Black Country, the reference point for the black race; yet today, under the APC, we are diminished, humiliated and embarrassed.

So the priority must be to restore Nigeria – get the country back on its feet. That requires quiet, underground work: building linkages, reaching out, creating bridges and uniting behind a candidate when the time comes.

The PDP is also showing signs of revival. If discipline is restored and indiscipline punished, the party can once again be Nigeria’s alternative. Even if there is both a coalition candidate and a PDP candidate, Nigerians will have options. For me, the overriding question remains: Who can save Nigeria?

Is this why you have not resigned from the PDP to join the ADC-led coalition?

I have answered this several times. First, I was part of PDP’s formation in 1998. I went to jail fighting for democracy and was detained until after Abacha’s death. I know what Nigeria was in the early 1990s and what it became in 1998.

PDP formation was the product of deep reflection, brainstorming and circumspection. I was part of that process. The party later made me a foreign minister, and later, governor. How then can I abandon my own political skin? How do I leave the PDP, my history, my heritage, my legacy? Despite its imperfections, the PDP has been everything to me. Leaving it would be a profound moral crisis for me.

Even if I attempted to leave the party, my soul would not follow me. That is the problem.

Many believe the APC is using different tactics; and I think you have alluded to some of them. They say the party deploys political appointments, promises and a kind of social or even aggressive participation to influence who the opposition leader is. Is there any truth in this? Have you been approached to join them?

I don’t think they see me as worthy of their approach.

What do you make of APC’s strategy of bringing people over? Just last week, we saw what happened to a former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal. The opposition says they are bringing up his files because he is galvanising support for the opposition. There are similar cases like former Governor Okowa, your party’s vice presidential candidate in 2023. What is your view of this approach by the APC?

Let me be very clear. One, I don’t condone any crime. Wherever there is crime, it should be pursued and prosecuted. That is basic. However, who is doing the prosecution? Is it Tinubu? Is he standing on a higher moral ground in terms of credentials? That is the question.

Today, we have an APC government that personalises everything. To Tinubu, the Nigerian government is his personal entity. Whoever dares to pose a threat to him, he will clamp down on him.

People fear him because he has personalised issues. It is his own government. He punishes or supports people when he wishes.

Let me repeat: I don’t condone corruption; I don’t condone crime. But I also don’t believe that what is happening now is being done sincerely and truthfully.

Some say the ruling party’s strategy to win over the opposition, which you have described, is a deliberate way of weakening them ahead of the elections. What strategies do you think the PDP and other opposition parties should adopt?

Very simple. The PDP has a history. It was a party that rescued Nigeria and worked for Nigeria. It should reflect and ask: What are we doing wrong? Right now, the party does not operate according to its own rules, regulations and constitution. Interests have compromised those rules, and impunity has taken root. Once the PDP decides to run itself by its rules and constitution and sanctions those who err, then we are on the right path. That is how the party will come back and remove the APC.

But today, the APC has infiltrated PDP through people like Wike, who is parading himself as if he owned the party. He brags because he has a government portfolio. If Tinubu removes Wike today, PDP will breathe easier.

Tinubu is using Wike as a black sheep within the PDP, disrupting everything, running to court whenever the party tries to enforce discipline. He even dictates terms, saying, “If my structure in the South-South is not maintained, there will be no peace.” Who is he to issue such conditions?

The solution is for the PDP to enforce discipline, sanction those undermining the party and restore order. If it does that, Nigerians would believe again and be inspired to follow the party.

Are you optimistic about the upcoming national convention of the party? Will these issues be resolved?

I pray it comes out fine. I pray we do the right thing. If we do the right thing, Nigeria will be safe. If we do the wrong thing, then we are in trouble.

Some argue that people like you who have been in the PDP since its formation allowed the party to reach this low point. What exactly have you been doing?

What I have been doing is speaking out. I have consistently said that Nigeria is not safe. The country is sick. The North is suffering. There is insecurity, pain, agony, anguish. I have said this repeatedly.

But beyond talking, what else can I do? If I were still governor, when I spoke, people listened because I spoke with authority. Look at former PDP governors, those who used to hold meetings in London and Spain. Are they talking now? Is Ortom talking? They are silent.

In Nigeria, your voice is only heard if you have power behind you. Wike talks now and dominates the media because he has state power and resources. Remove him from that office and he will be just like Sule Lamido, an ordinary Nigerian.

I can only speak and point out what is wrong. I can say that Nigeria is unsafe, but without power, my voice does not carry the same weight. That is the reality: in Nigeria, it is all about power.

Finally, looking at the outcome of the last election, do you think the PDP should consider joining a coalition ahead of 2027? Or should the focus be on strengthening itself as an independent institution?

This question is popular. But reflect: Who are those in the so-called coalition? They are all PDP people. Peter Obi is PDP, El-Rufai is PDP, Atiku is PDP. Many former APC governors are ex-PDP – Adamu, Ganduje and Kwankwaso.

They were all dignified and made by the PDP, yet they turned against it in 2014 because of the North-South rotation. But the rotation should not be about zones, it should be about Nigeria, its security, stability and future.

Buhari was president for eight years; what did the North gain? Nothing. It was a total loss, a total failure – pain, sorrow, anguish, death.

So, when we talk about coalition, let us be honest: the personnel are PDP. The solution is simple: let them return to the PDP, submit to party discipline and work under the constitution.

If the PDP restores order and discipline, Nigeria will be safe again. That is the way forward. (Weekend Trust)