Lamido Expresses Disappointment Over Political Shift, Questions PDP Loyalists Switching to Rival Parties

Former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido has voiced concerns about what he calls Nigeria’s “murky political environment,” noting the defection of several prominent PDP figures to rival parties ahead of the 2027 general election.

Lamido made the remarks yesterday in a post on his Facebook page, where he reflected on the country’s evolving political landscape.

He said he was struggling to “decipher and understand the political chemistry and direction of the moment in Nigeria” in order to make what he described as “a less confused decision.”

Lamido noted that many leading figures in the ruling All Progressives Congress, the ADC and the NDC were once products of the PDP, stressing that the party had a historic role in shaping Nigeria’s democratic leadership after the end of military rule.

According to him, several of his former colleagues in the PDP are now spread across different political platforms.

“In APC, I have my governor colleagues like Senate President Godswill Akpabio, SGF George Akume, Abdullahi Adamu, Aliyu Wamakko, Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Ganduje and many others,” Lamido said.

He also referenced former Delta State governor and PDP vice‑presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Ifeanyi Okowa, whom he said was now leading the second‑term campaign efforts of President Bola Tinubu.

Lamido pointed to the growing coalition in the ADC, where he said former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governors and ex‑ministers including Liyel Imoke, Rotimi Amaechi and Aminu Tambuwal were now aligning.

He cited the NDC, where former Bayelsa State governor Seriake Dickson and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso were influential figures, alongside Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.

Lamido argued that all the politicians he mentioned rose to national prominence on the PDP platform.

“Whatever titles or status they hold was conferred on them by PDP. Whatever visibility they now command is all thanks to PDP,” he said.

Reflecting on the formation of the PDP in 1999, Lamido said the party and its leaders worked collectively to rebuild Nigeria after the political crisis triggered by the annulment of the June 12 presidential election.

He said the PDP restored national trust, stabilised the country, promoted human development and repositioned Nigeria as a key player within the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union.

“We knew where we were in 1999. Do we know where we are today, 27 years after?” Lamido asked, adding that coalition‑building had become necessary for opposition parties to avoid fragmentation ahead of 2027.