Former Jigawa State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has threatened to take legal action against the party over its alleged refusal to sell him a nomination form to contest for the position of National Chairman.
Lamido made the threat on Monday in Abuja after his attempts to obtain the form at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, proved unsuccessful.
He alleged that both the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, were involved in the issue.
The PDP, at its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on August 25 in Abuja, had zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the National Chairman position to the North.
Following the decision, Northern leaders met over the weekend and further micro-zoned the position to the North-West.
Subsequently, Northern PDP governors, led by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, alongside other party leaders, endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as the consensus candidate for the National Chairman position.
However, some Northern stakeholders loyal to Lamido, including those aligned with National Organising Secretary Umar Bature, rejected the move, alleging that it was done without consultation.
In a parallel development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is reportedly backing former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom for the same office.
Lamido, who arrived at the party headquarters with his supporters around 11 a.m., said he could not find any official to sell the form as the relevant offices were locked.
Although the Convention Organising Committee chaired by Governor Fintiri currently operates from the annex office at Legacy House in Maitama, Abuja, Lamido insisted that the forms should have been made available at Wadata Plaza.
He stated, “Well, let me be very clear. You see, PDP is a family of wonderful Nigerians who share a similar commitment to Nigeria and democracy. So, coming here is like coming home, to the family. There’s nothing new about it.
“Secondly, because we are now going into a convention, and by the party constitution, sales of forms are normally at the party headquarters, I came here to purchase my own form. That’s why I’m here.”
Speaking on his inability to obtain the form, Lamido said, “I went to the office of the National Organising Secretary, which is normally the office where the forms are sold, and the office was locked. I think it was officially locked, you know, because of his own position.
“So, I met him with the Secretary of the Party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. I said, ‘Look, I’m here to buy the form.’ Both of them said they had no idea where the forms are, not even how they were printed or the kind of forms they are. They had no idea where they were being sold.
“So, I found it a little bit weird that the custodian of the system, who is the National Organising Secretary, is also being locked out. So, they may not be able to go into the office.”
Lamido dismissed talk of a crisis within the PDP, describing the situation as a “family affair.”
He, however, said he might have to go to Adamawa to obtain the form if that was the new arrangement.
He added, “No, the closing date for sales of forms has been extended. In any case, all decisions of the party must be done by the NEC. You know, any change of date or time must be approved by the NEC.
“But somehow, I think the entire function of the NEC has been taken over by individuals. And therefore, we’ll find out how it’s going to work out.
“I am an optimist. You know, it’s a family thing. We’ll never fight, no matter what, because we want to win the election. If we fight, we’ll lose. You know, our opponents are outside. APC and their evil system. APC, not PDP. So, if you don’t have an organised house with a very, very organised force, how do you fight it out?
“That is why I am trying to buy the form. And if I don’t get the form, I will go to court, simple. The PDP should be able to organise its own house, to run the party based on the policies of the party, doing the right thing at all times.
“The only way we can win is by having a party that is disciplined. If the party is not organised, if we don’t follow our own constitution and procedures, how do we win elections?”
Lamido, who rejected the governors’ consensus arrangement, said it was reached without proper consultation, insisting that the North-West zone to which he belongs was not carried along.
He said, “If there are consultations, there can be consensus. But if there are no consultations, then we are not united on board. I mean, the zone which I came from, we never met.
“We were supposed to meet on Wednesday. And I think the Governor of Zamfara booked the hall at Hilton, right? For us from the Northwest to meet to be able to come out with that kind of understanding. But then, to preempt our meeting, they fixed a meeting for Tuesday, to preempt our own meeting on Wednesday.
“So, we never met. The zone never met. That’s the problem.”
Lamido stressed that his ambition was driven by the desire to rebuild the PDP into a stable and united political family capable of confronting the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.