From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Former Governor of Jigawa State and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has fired back at former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai over his call for opposition politicians to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai, who recently announced his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP, urged opposition leaders, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, to join him in his new political movement.
However, Lamido, in an interview with BBC Hausa Service monitored on Sunday, dismissed El-Rufai’s invitation to opposition members, questioning his political ideology and commitment to national development.
“With all due respect, how does he expect us in the PDP to leave and join another party? The PDP that we built is the same party that made him who he is today. How can a grandson claim his grandfather knows nothing?” Lamido said.
He recalled that El-Rufai once declared there were no political elders in Nigeria, insisting that he and his allies were the true power brokers.
“But now he claims he advised Buhari. If he truly had the power he once boasted of, why did he have to seek Buhari’s counsel?” Lamido asked.
The former governor stressed that, despite PDP’s internal challenges, it remained his political home.
“If PDP is struggling today, it is still the party that nurtured El-Rufai. If he claims PDP is dead, then he must remember that it is the party that gave him his political foundation. Whatever he has achieved today, PDP made it possible.”
Lamido argued that if he had any intention of leaving PDP, he would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed.
“If I didn’t join APC in 2014 when I was invited, and they left PDP out of anger, why are they now leaving APC? What has APC done to them?” he asked.
He maintained that governance should not be driven by emotions or personal grudges.
“Leadership is about patience, foresight, and working for the peace of the people and the nation. If you allow emotions to dictate your decisions, you will never lead objectively.”
He stressed that if the goal is to unseat President Bola Tinubu, it should not be based on personal grievances but on national interest.
“We should not fight Tinubu just because we are angry at him or seeking revenge. Leadership should be about prioritising the country’s well-being rather than personal emotions.”
Lamido urged politicians to focus on strengthening the country rather than making decisions based on resentment.