FORMER Jigawa State Governor and stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has warned against the ongoing efforts to undermine Nigeria’s main opposition party, declaring that the destruction of the PDP could trigger a collapse of democracy in the country.
Lamido, who is also a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, predicted that in the next five months, serious things may happen, insisting that the way people are leaving the PDP is very ominous for Nigeria.
Speaking after his election as a National Delegate during the PDP Local Government Congress in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, Lamido expressed grave concern over what he described as a systematic assault on opposition forces through the manipulation of state institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police, and security agencies.
Lamido said: “In their wisdom, my people elected me as a delegate, not because I needed it, but because experience is needed at a time like this.”
“Nigeria’s democracy thrives on a vibrant opposition. If you destroy the PDP, you are not just destroying a party; you are setting Nigeria on a path to self-destruction.”
Lamido accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of weaponising the instruments of the state to weaken opposition parties.
He warned that if this trend continues unchecked, it will not only damage the democratic fabric but ultimately consume those who orchestrated it.
“If APC, as a political party, fights the PDP, that’s normal; but when the Federal Government, under the APC control, uses national institutions against the opposition, that’s dangerous. It’s not just APC members fighting us; it’s the government and the President himself.
“Using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other agencies to intimidate and weaken opposition parties amounts to self-destruction. Those joining the APC out of fear will eventually regret it.”
He noted that Tinubu believes he is securing his political future by weakening the PDP. He, however, stressed that what the President doesn’t realise is that by doing so, he is weakening Nigeria itself.
Lamido said that democracy is built on liberty, freedom, and credible opposition. “If you destroy the opposition, you destroy the nation,” he declared.
He further noted that fear of persecution by agencies like the EFCC is forcing many political figures into what he described as a “suicidal alliance” with the ruling party, predicting that disillusionment would eventually drive many back to the PDP.
He urged all aggrieved politicians to return to the PDP, describing the party as Nigeria’s most organised and people-driven political platform.