Ex-Governor Sule Lamido Rejects El-Rufai’s Call to Join SDP
Former Governor of Jigawa State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Sule Lamido, has dismissed an appeal from ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai, who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP, made the call during an interview with BBC Hausa. While he did not mention Lamido directly, he urged notable opposition figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola to join him in the SDP.
Responding in a separate BBC Hausa interview, Lamido rejected the invitation, calling it an insult. He emphasized that the PDP, which he helped build, was instrumental in El-Rufai’s political rise.
“The PDP is the party that created opportunities for El-Rufai,” Lamido stated. “You alone cannot make us abandon the PDP.”
He also recalled a past remark from El-Rufai, where the former governor allegedly said there were no elders in Nigerian politics. “Now, he is calling on us to join him in the SDP,” Lamido noted with skepticism.
Lamido also questioned El-Rufai’s reasons for defecting from the APC, saying, “He claims he informed President Buhari about his decision to leave the APC, yet now he portrays himself as a leader in Nigerian politics.”
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Reaffirming his loyalty to the PDP, Lamido stated that if he had intended to leave, he would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed. He also criticized El-Rufai’s leadership approach, arguing that governance should be driven by patience, vision, and national interest rather than personal grievances.
“Leadership is about wisdom, patience, and working for the good of the people and the nation,” he said.
Lamido urged El-Rufai to prioritize patriotism over personal differences and reaffirmed that the PDP is actively rebuilding its strength after its loss in the 2015 presidential election.
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