Alhaji Sule Lamido, a former governor of Jigawa State and a pillar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has cautioned that continued attempts to undermine the PDP may be fatal for Nigeria’s democracy.
Lamido claimed that the way people were leaving the party was “very ominous” for the future of the nation in remarks made at the PDP Local Government Congress in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, following his election as a National Delegate.
He claimed that his people wisely chose me to serve as a delegate, not because I required it but rather because experience is crucial in such a situation.
Lamido expressed alarm about what he called a systematic attack on the opposition by manipulating important institutions including security services, the police, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu were weakening and intimidating opposition forces by employing government organizations such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
It’s normal for the APC to oppose the PDP as a political party, but it’s risky when the APC-controlled federal government turns to national institutions to quell resistance. Lamido stated, “The government and the President himself are attacking us, not just the APC members.
Lamido emphasized that liberty, freedom, and the presence of a genuine opposition are essential for democracy.
Democracy in Nigeria is nourished by a strong opposition. “Destroying the PDP will not only destroy a party; it will also lead Nigeria to self-destruction,” he cautioned.
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“Using the EFCC and other agencies to weaken and intimidate opposition parties is self-destruction,” he continued. People that join the APC out of fear will come to regret it.
In addition, the former minister called the current APC defections a “suicidal alliance” and forecast that many disillusioned politicians will soon rejoin the PDP.
He called the PDP Nigeria’s best organized and people-driven political platform and asked resentful politicians to rejoin it.
“If you destroy the opposition, you destroy the nation,” Lamido said in his conclusion.
