Taiwo Popoola
The former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has said that opposition politicians in Nigeria are panicking because of what he described as President Tinubu’s imperial acts against the opposition.
He alleged that Tinubu is using instruments of power to coerce the opposition into joining the APC.
Speaking in his office on Tuesday in Kano, Lamido said Nigeria is no longer the same country it was twenty-five years ago. According to him, President Tinubu has completely changed the political narrative and is determined to destroy democracy.
He said there are many challenges facing the country, and one of the most pressing is the threat to democracy. He accused the Federal Government, President Tinubu, and the APC of using state institutions to undermine democracy.
“Today, Tinubu is using state institutions to crush the opposition through intimidation, blackmail, harassment, and government patronage. A clear example is Okowa, who was the PDP vice presidential candidate. He suddenly faced charges of 1.3 trillion naira from the EFCC, and after joining the APC, those charges disappeared,” Lamido said.
He added, “It is just like Oshiomhole said, no matter your crime, once you join the APC, you will be forgiven. That is why people who feel guilty are joining the APC. This is a danger to our democracy.”
Sule Lamido insisted that the Federal Government, the APC, and President Tinubu are all using institutions to destroy democracy.
As a result, the country is facing a lack of security, stability, unity, and trust. He said that without mutual trust among the components of the country, Nigeria cannot make progress.
He warned that for Nigeria to move forward, its components must be united. However, he accused the government of deliberately dividing regions, such as separating the North Central from the rest of the North and creating divisions between the South East and South South for political gain.
According to him, the country no longer functions as a united federation with mutual respect and love. Instead, Tinubu has become an emperor who uses power to decide who lives or dies politically. He said this situation has left many people in a state of panic.
“People are now asking what to do. In that panic, there is talk of coalitions. But I have said before, the coalition we had in 2014 was organic. There were established structures like CPC under Buhari, ACN under Tinubu, ANPP under governors, and even PDP members like the President, Speaker, and governors who joined the alliance.”
“Today, the proposed coalition is just a gathering of individuals. Labour Party, PDP, and others are not uniting as political institutions but as individuals like Atiku, Peter Obi, El-Rufai, and others. That is why I am not part of it.”
“For me, any coalition must define clear parameters. Why are we coming together? It should be for democracy, unity, stability, security, and prosperity. These should be the guiding principles, not personal ambition, vengeance, or revenge.”
“I remain in the PDP. Yes, PDP has its problems, but I cannot walk out of my skin and take on a new identity like joining ADC. I have a history. I have been PDP. It is the PDP that made me a minister and governor. I was detained, harassed, blackmailed, and my office and house were nearly destroyed because of my loyalty to PDP.”
“Therefore, I cannot renounce my legacy and join something new. I am PDP. I will support any arrangement within or led by the PDP that seeks to secure Nigeria in 2027, but certainly not anything involving Tinubu or the APC.”
