Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has launched a scathing attack on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, branding him a “disaster” and calling for his removal from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
During a phone interview with Vanguard in Abuja on Tuesday, Lamido disclosed that he had withdrawn from participating in PDP leadership meetings.
He cited the continued presence of Wike and ex-Benue Governor Samuel Ortom on the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) as his reason.
Lamido, one of the founding members of the PDP, said: “I still belong to the party, but I will not engage in its leadership affairs while Wike and Ortom remain part of the BoT. Their presence undermines the values the party was built upon.”
He was particularly outraged by Wike’s involvement in the recent closure of the PDP National Secretariat, an act he condemned as disloyal and harmful to the party that elevated Wike’s political career.
Describing the move as shameful, Lamido stated, “To shut down the headquarters of the very party that empowered you is both dishonourable and unpatriotic. It’s akin to tearing down your own house.”
He further criticized Wike’s perceived arrogance and likened it to a son demanding control over his mother simply because he supports her financially.
“Just because Wike says he funded the party doesn’t mean he owns it. That’s not how loyalty works,” Lamido said.
The former governor also applauded President Bola Tinubu for intervening and reopening the PDP office, which he believes highlighted Wike’s lack of political discipline.
“The irony is that Wike tried to impress Tinubu by attacking his own party, but it was Tinubu who corrected him. That speaks volumes.”
Recalling his days as the National Secretary of the defunct SDP, Lamido expressed disappointment at how the PDP now tolerates members who betray the party’s principles.
He accused Ortom of betraying the PDP by supporting Peter Obi in the last presidential election and labelled him, alongside Samuel Anyanwu, as unfit for their current positions.
He concluded by urging the party’s National Working Committee to take immediate action:
“Wike should be expelled, and Ortom and others who work against the PDP’s interest should be removed. Until that happens, I will not participate in any PDP meetings.”