By John Akubo
In an era where politicians switch allegiances as frequently as the seasons change, Sule Lamido remains a rare breed—the last party man standing. Unyielding in his principles, unswayed by political currents, and unwavering in his commitment to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Lamido stands as a testament to what loyalty and ideology once meant in Nigerian politics.
From his early days in the Second Republic with the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Lamido distinguished himself not as a career politician but as a man driven by a cause.
Elected to the House of Representatives in 1979, he entered the national stage with a clear vision: to give voice to the voiceless. He would go on to become the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the Third Republic, proving that his politics were more than strategy—they were about service.
While many cowered in silence during the dark days of military dictatorship, Lamido stood firm. His open resistance to General Sani Abacha’s autocracy landed him in prison—a price he paid with pride, believing that Nigeria’s soul was worth defending. That act of defiance earned him not just national respect but a place in the hearts of true democrats.
Lamido helped lay the foundation for what would become Nigeria’s longest-serving political party—the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), established in August 1998, he was one of the key political figures and groups, from the G-9 to the G-18 and G-34.
These groups had boldly opposed the self-succession agenda of then-military ruler Gen. Sani Abacha. After Abacha’s death in June 1998, Nigeria transitioned toward democracy, paving the way for new political formations. The PDP quickly rose to prominence, led initially by Alex Ekwueme as chairman and Jerry Gana as secretary.
Lamido, alongside other influential politicians, traditional rulers, intellectuals, and retired military officers—including former Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo—played a central role in shaping what would become Nigeria’s dominant political force in the Fourth Republic.
He stood with the likes of Jerry Gana and Iyorchia Ayu, not for personal ambition, but for national reconstruction. As Foreign Minister from 1999 to 2003 under President Obasanjo, Lamido didn’t just manage diplomacy—he projected integrity and tackled issues like child trafficking with unflinching resolve.
Jigawa State will not forget Lamido’s leadership anytime soon. As governor from 2007 to 2015, he turned vision into action—building infrastructure, improving schools, and strengthening healthcare. He governed not for headlines but for history, leaving behind a legacy of real, measurable progress for the people.
Through his developmental strides, Lamido elevated Jigawa to an enviable height in both infrastructural and human development. In terms of governance, he positioned the state to compete equally with its peers. While democracy may not solve all human challenges, no human challenge can be overcome without democracy. The dynamism of democracy is what has added value to leadership.
Lamido demonstrated his passion for the development of his people in every nook and cranny of the state through various developmental efforts. His belief in the civil service as the bedrock of governance inspired him to adopt strategies to make the state attractive to civil servants.
Jigawa civil servants were known for their penchant for living in Kano, commuting daily to work. Others traveled from their various local governments each day. This was understandable, given the state’s lack of basic infrastructure to accommodate its workforce. Lamido’s desire was to make the state capital habitable for the benefit of the state.
However, during his eight-year tenure, the story changed. Dutse, the state capital, can now boast of its own Three Arms Zone, housing the civil service, judiciary, and legislature—all within the same vicinity. Most civil servants ceased their daily commutes from Kano and other places. The city, once a caricature of a capital, began to exhibit the true attributes of a state headquarters, thanks to his efforts.
Upon assuming office in May 2007, one of his first actions was to relocate all the ministries, which were previously scattered across the five emirate councils throughout the state, back to Dutse. This made the coordination of government activities less cumbersome. This singular action boosted the hustle and bustle within Dutse, attracting more indigenous investors and businesspeople.
His predecessor had distributed the ministries across five zones to appease those who initially opposed Dutse as the state capital. Dutse also witnessed the development of massive housing estates: New Legislators’ Quarters, Fattara, Godiya Miyetti, and Dan’masara. His successors have since continued to build upon these foundations.
Another major achievement in public service delivery was the establishment of the Manpower Development Institute, the engine room for capacity-building among civil servants. Today, Jigawa State civil servants are well-trained and can compete favorably with their counterparts anywhere. The state secretariat, modeled after the federal secretariat in Abuja, is another massive structure.
Lamido is also remembered for his controversial role in the New-PDP, leading to the exit of about five governors from the PDP fold in the buildup to 2015, which became the albatross of the acclaimed largest party in Africa. The former governor, who referred to himself as a man of controversy, played a leading role in the diplomatic shuttle by the five ‘rebellious’ governors but backed out when the others decided to join the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
During that era of defections and betrayals, Sule Lamido never left. Through internal party crises and national political turmoil, he remained rooted in the PDP. He became more than a loyalist; he became a symbol of what the party once stood for. His voice has been consistent—calling for unity, integrity, and discipline when others called only for power.
It is recalled that on November 1, 2013, during the formative years of the current ruling APC, they embarked on what they referred to as a recruitment drive and visited Dutse, where Lamido held sway as the helmsman, with every expectation that he would join their train as one of the five ‘rebellious PDP governors’.
While at the Government House in Dutse, the then pioneer National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, said they were on a recruitment drive. “When we were coming, we thought it was going to be a private meeting between us and perhaps the Governor of Jigawa State, but it turned out that we are in a pool where a lot could be recruited. After enjoying the hospitality of Jigawa, we did a good trek from his residence to this place, and we became healthier.
“If this is how it takes the Governor to trek from his residence to his office every day, I don’t know why it would have taken him that long to trek from the PDP to the new PDP. I know for certain that, with his position, having seen what he has done within a short time in Jigawa State, we were marveled.”
He said they used to know Dutse as a road junction, but now they saw a city in appearance and a city in the making. The chairman wondered how the governor, who used to be a national secretary of a progressive party during the SDP days, managed to be in the PDP.
“And we are now certain that it would not take him a race to be on fertile ground for national development. Our coming is not about ourselves. It is not about him. It is about the future of Nigeria; it is about the unity of the country.
“Ladies and gentlemen, APC has a fertile place for people like Governor Lamido and his company of progressives in Jigawa State.”
Former military Head of State General Muhammadu Buhari said, as a member of one of the parties that merged to form the APC, he came with other leaders willing to solicit support for the new party, explaining that the issue is a question of security and effective management of Nigeria.
He expressed regret over the unfortunate turnout of events in some Northern States, which is having a telling effect on its economy, saying that the economic potentials of the region have been reduced to rubbles. “You can’t kill an innocent man in the name of religion; I said it before. So APC has come to consolidate the Nigerian polity so we can move forward to secure and manage this country effectively. So we came to ask for your support.”
The former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, who is currently the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, described Lamido as a brother and a longtime friend, a strong progressive who had marveled everybody in the state and in Nigeria with his developmental strides.
“We have come to reconnect with Lamido, who is one of those reliable individuals that we can work with. In our days in SDP, he was fair, firm, and resolute in his belief in people as a politician. As a national secretary then, he was very courageous.
“I don’t know how we find you under the heated umbrella, but now that the umbrella is tearing, you see this is a rescue mission. This is our country; this is the time to rescue this nation from mediocrity, from provincial lack of focus, and tilt to a renewed Nigeria away from the disintegration that is facing us.”
Continuing, he said, “Let us join hands to work for this country together. Together, we can make it work for our grandchildren and the future generation to come.”
The then Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, also described Lamido as a man whose word has value, whose conviction is deep, adding, however, that when he is persuaded, it is difficult to change him unless he sees a superior argument.
“He has never shown fear to speak truth to authority. The only thing I can say is that the progressives are waiting for you to return to where you belong. This is really about Nigeria. It is now beyond us; it is about who we are. If we have oases of the kind of development that we have clearly seen in this state in a few other states, it is clear that this country has no business either with poverty, unemployment, or hunger if we constitute a critical mass of progressives to rescue the nation.
“Our doors are open; the privileges, the rights, and the leadership authority of all governors in the current APC states will be accorded to Your Excellency as a leader of the party in the state if you come back to where you belong.”
Responding, Lamido said the visit was a great family reunion of the former SDP, adding that it gives Nigeria hope. He said the fact that leaders can come from various divides to unite for Nigeria means maturity.
He reiterated that division has been undermining the country, leaving their followers abandoned. He said the PDP is sick because Nigeria is sick. However, he observed that the APC, which should have been an analgesic, was not properly manufactured.
Lamido said his eyes are wide open in the PDP and that he remains, adding that when he sees people of like minds, he will work with them.
According to him, most of the members of the APC entourage were people with his mindset, and he felt they were in the state for a family reunion. He stated that since the PDP is “very sick,” it was time to set aside party sentiment and unite around the common problem of the country.
In his words, “This visit is what I call a family reunion. All those in the defunct SDP are here. We have been friends and partners. This single visit, more than anything else, shows that we can work together to save Nigeria.
“For General Muhammadu Buhari to come here to woo me to APC shows that our leaders are concerned about Nigeria. The PDP is very sick. It is time to put aside politics and nomenclature and unite around the common problems of the country.
He described the coming of the APC to Jigawa as the beginning of a long process that would test the will and political sagacity of everyone.
“We must work as leaders and put the country first. When we come together, you must listen to us because of our experience. We will add value to you. The journey is difficult. I am still in the PDP with my eyes wide open. When I see like minds, I will work with them.”
Despite everything, Lamido did not leave the PDP. Precisely on Tuesday, November 26, 2013, he officially dissociated himself from the merger of the New PDP with the APC, reiterating his conviction to remain in the PDP and fight for the right thing to be done.
Lamido, who spoke through his Director of Press at the time, Umar Kiyari, in reaction to the announcement by Abubakar Baraje that his faction had merged with the All Progressives Congress, stated that he remained the living father of the PDP and would not relinquish his historical authority to anybody.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) had announced the merger with the Abubakar Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (tagged “New PDP”). The announcement read:
“In the interest of our country and in order to rescue Nigeria, we the New PDP have agreed to merge and work with the APC.”
Just as the news broke, Lamido responded, saying:
“While I accept that my party, the PDP, is currently embroiled in a serious crisis—especially due to the Bamanga Tukur style of leadership characterized by impunity—that will not make me renounce my membership or relinquish my historical authority to anybody. It is true that my family and I are currently under severe political pressure and a campaign of misinformation and smear, to the extent that we are judged guilty in the public court by the gullible.”
However, he refused to be intimidated or harassed out of the party, adding that he would not allow anyone to dictate his political actions.
“For now, I wish to state that I remain the living father of the PDP. As for my political persecutors, I will engage them on my own terms at the appropriate time. Nobody speaks for me but I. Aluta continua.”
Lamido also disagreed with the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) led by former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma. The NPLF was saddled with producing a northern consensus candidate to challenge President Jonathan in the 2011 PDP presidential primaries. Though Atiku Abubakar eventually emerged as the candidate, he was roundly defeated by President Jonathan at the primaries.
Lamido insisted he could not be part of the consensus arrangement. As a committed party member, he rejected the introduction of regional politics into what should be a purely internal party matter. He expressed concern that non-PDP members were hijacking the zoning debate, which he believed should remain an exclusive PDP affair. He added that he would have preferred a consensus approach that was inclusive of all ethnic groups and religions.
Lamido also made no secret of his disdain for Atiku Abubakar, criticizing what he described as Atiku’s unprincipled and desperate ambition to become president at all costs.
He questioned:
“After all, Atiku abandoned the party at one point and fought against it. Why is he now coming back to use the same party to pursue his ambition?”
He emphasized that the presidency under the PDP should be treated as a national affair—not a sectional or regional one.
“We are talking about who will be the president of Nigeria under the PDP,” he said.
“Therefore, we are not part of the so-called consensus candidate because the issue is strictly a party affair. Whoever emerges will be the president of the whole country—not just one section or region.”
Lamido maintained that the PDP’s decisions were binding on all members and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to national unity over ethnic or sectional politics.
“The PDP is a national party,” he stated,
“and its candidate must be a national candidate.”
Speaking on President Goodluck Jonathan, he asked:
“How can we go into party primaries and defeat a sitting president from our own party? That would amount to passing a vote of no confidence on our national leadership, which I consider very dangerous.”
He argued that it was only logical and honorable for all party members to support the incumbent. Lamido explained that President Jonathan was a product of the PDP and that replacing him at that point would be self-defeating and scandalous.
“We resolved as a party to uphold our 2007 victory by supporting the Goodluck/Sambo ticket in 2011. He is one of us, and we cannot disown him. If anyone else has a candidate, let them present theirs. But for us in the PDP, our candidate is Goodluck,” he reiterated.
The governor concluded by affirming that President Jonathan belongs to all Nigerians.
“If any group or section has produced its own candidate, let that person run as such. But we in the PDP have no other candidate than the incumbent president, and we will do everything humanly possible to ensure his victory at the polls.”
Even after leaving office, Lamido remained a force. He contested for the PDP’s presidential ticket in 2018—not out of desperation, but to offer vision and credibility. And today, as elders fade and the noise of new ambition rises, Lamido’s clarity stands out. He speaks for democracy. He speaks for history. He speaks for the party.
While reacting to the defection of Former Delta State Governor and PDP vice-presidential candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa along with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Lamido sounded a powerful warning against 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.
He 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.
“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,” Lamido said. “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.”
He accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of weaponizing the instruments of state to weaken opposition parties.
The former Governor 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 itself — under 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 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.”
“Tinubu believes he is securing his political future by weakening the PDP. What he doesn’t realize is that by doing so, he is weakening Nigeria itself. Democracy is built on liberty, freedom, and credible opposition. Destroy the opposition, and 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.
Addressing recent talks of forming a new coalition, Lamido dismissed such moves as “coalitions of hate and revenge,” lacking the organic unity and vision that characterized political alliances in 2014.
He urged all aggrieved politicians to return home to the PDP, which he described as Nigeria’s most organized and people-driven political platform.
“There is no shame in coming back,” he said. “The PDP remains the only hope for saving Nigeria’s democracy.”
“The coalition of 2014 that led to the creation of APC was organic — it involved real political parties like CPC under Buhari, AC under Tinubu, and ANPP under various governors, alongside former PDP governors.
“But this current so-called coalition is a coalition of hate, anger, pain, and revenge. You cannot build a nation on bitterness.
“If you lose an election, you must reflect and rebuild, not act out of resentment. Today, PDP remains organized with structures like the NWC, NEC, BOT, the Governors’ Forum, and its National Assembly members still intact.
“Those who left should simply come back to the PDP. Coalition is not new — PDP itself invented coalitions back in 1998 and 2014.”
“PDP is a big political umbrella. Why should I cover my big gown with an inner shirt? APC and their allies are small compared to PDP.
“As for 2027, there is no covenant between Tinubu and God guaranteeing him victory. Power belongs to the people.
“I don’t fear Tinubu. The problem is that people fear the government because of the abuse of institutions like EFCC. If you fight democracy with government machinery, you are inviting mass political suicide.
“Our focus should not be on Tinubu but on how to restore and save Nigeria.”
Lamido’s passionate defence of the PDP and dire warnings about the future of the country if the opposition is destroyed have added a new dimension to the growing concerns about democratic backsliding in Africa’s largest democracy.
Sule Lamido didn’t bend. He didn’t break. And he didn’t bargain away his ideals. In a nation where political identity is often fluid, he remains rooted—a living reminder of when politics was about principle, not position. That is why, long after the noise fades, Sule Lamido will be remembered as the last party man standing.
John Akubo, a media practitioner worked in Jigawa between 2010 and 2014, practices in Abuja
