By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Former Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido has said that the PDP’s convention at Ibadan, on Saturday is a mere gathering of friends.
In an interview on ARISE News, he said that the gathering could not be legally recognized because a fresh injunction he got on Friday afternoon had been properly served on both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the PDP.
He said, “I gather that the convention is something defined under law our law, our regulations and our general constitution. And since there has been a court order restricting the convention from holding, there cannot be a convention. So if you say it is a convention, you can be sued for contempt of court.”
Sule Lamido also stressed that no earlier court decisions could override his latest order. He insisted that the PDP couldn’t claim legal protection to proceed. He said, “Interests are very free to interpret the law based on their own interest. But the injunction from Ibadan is not the one in question. Mine was given on Friday at three o’clock, which is the latest. The order has been served on INEC; it has also been served on the PDP. They are aware of this. Therefore, if you say they are holding a convention, you can be held for contempt of the general purpose.”
Sule Lamido went on the dismiss Chief Bode George’s criticism. He cited Chief Bode George’s military background and lack of knowledge about PDP’s formation. He said, “I watched him. I felt highly entertained by his presentation. He’s a military man. He has no idea how the PDP was formed in 1998, the philosophy behind the PDP, the thinking of the PDP and the dream of the PDP. He has no idea how we formed the party; he was only brought on board by Obasanjo.”
Sule Lamido also said that Chief Bode George has not fully transitioned to civilian politics. He called him a “paracivilian” and accused him of leading the now‑suspended faction. He said, “He has not gone through the full metamorphosis of moving from a military man to a civilian. Therefore, he is still a paracivilian. You can understand his mentality.”
He also said, “That group which has been suspended was led by Bode George. He was their political leader. He was the elder who got them into rebellion against the party.”
He stated that the Ibadan event lacked legitimacy, and described it as “a gathering of friends for entertainment” with no legal standing. He said, “PDP is a party of law and order. The gathering in Ibadan is not a convention which is legal. Therefore, anything done there is just unavoidable, whatever they may be called. They are only there to entertain themselves. The meeting in Ibadan is simply a gathering of friends for entertainment. It has no legal standing.”
When asked why he went to court instead of seeking internal reconciliation, Sule Lamido said that he had spent years trying to prevent the crisis. He said, “In the last two years, I have held so many meetings in people’s houses, in offices pleading that the party was going down. Today, we have so many governors, parliamentarians and leaders who don’t even care. What is the purpose of having a party if not to win elections?”
He concluded by saying, “People are not confident about Nigeria because they don’t believe the PDP is even capable of resolving its own problems. If you cannot organise yourselves, how do you go out and fight the APC?”
