Nigeria may likely come to an end if PDP loses in 2023, says Sule Lamido

Former Jigawa State governor and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Sule Lamido, has warned that Nigeria may likely come to an end if the PDP fails to take over power during 2023 elections.

He said this when he led a delegation of former sovernors, Sule Lamido of Jigawa to show solidarity with the party’s National Working Committee led by former Senate President, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, in Abuja on Tuesday.

The former Jigawa State governor said: “We are here to formally show solidarity with your leadership and give the message to Nigerians that PDP is a single family under your leadership and that PDP is the only hope for Nigeria in 2023. We are here to support you and the party.

“We are also here to minimise acrimonious discussion in terms of power allocation; we need the party first before the power. If the party is not properly organised, power will elude us. In 2023, if we lose power, Nigeria may likely come to an end.

“We are working through you and our brothers in the Governors Forum that we are partners in progress; the PDP governors and former governors should be meeting regularly through your office. There should be synergy among the governors, former governors and NWC to guide Nigeria towards the 2023 elections.”

Addressing the former governors and other state officials, Ayu implored them to work together to ensure the restoration of a PDP governor in their respective states.

He affirmed that the PDP is open to the received “prodigal children” who had defected to other parties.

The party boss added: “We thank you very much for the work you are doing your various states under very difficult circumstances. It is not easy to leave the office for many years and continue supporting the party. It shows how committed and patriotic you are that you have not left the party like some of your other colleagues have done.

“The first task I will give you immediately is to reach out to other of your colleagues who have benefited from this party enormously and abandoned the party. Where they are, we know they’re not happy. Some of them are grumbling in silence. Kindly reach out to them and bring them back home.

“We still regard them as our prodigal children when they come, we’ll receive them, and they will continue to help to build the party. And you who had interacted with them in the governor’s forum and other fora are the best people who can reach out to your colleagues to bring them back home.”

On the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, he urged the President to quickly assent and prevent future election manipulation in the country.

He further said: “We also hope that all of you will lend your voices to the Electoral Act that is before the President. The President should sign the Electoral Act. As a party, we’re particularly interested in that electoral act because if we have elections transmitted directly, then some of the manipulations that used to take place and cost us elections will go because we know Nigerians are supporting us.

“So all of you should lend your voice as a body and individually that the president should sign that electoral act.”

Among those who attended the meeting were former Governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger State), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi State), Emeka Ihedioha (Imo State), Liyel Imoke (Cross River State) and Peter Obi (Anambra State).