Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, says People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was “flushed out” of power by Nigerians, particularly northerners, over the erroneous belief that the party was part and parcel of Boko Haram insurgency rocking the country.
The PDP chieftain said the All Progressives Congress (APC) had in 2014 capitalised on the Boko-Haram insurgency to peddle lies that the PDP was the evil behind it.
Speaking in an interview, Lamido, said the APC has been proven to be a failed party for his inability to fulfil its campaign promises, saying the PDP would bounce back to power in 2023.
He however, revealed that the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, who would have likely posed a big threat to PDP in the presidential election will miss out on the APC ticket as the party is bent on frustrating him.
His said : “The APC was formed on lies and blackmail, and these became a personality trait. So, before the coming of the party, Nigerians were overwhelmed with the culture of lies, and they believed that Boko Haram was the PDP, that the economic downturn was caused by them, that we were stealing money.
” They believed that everything evil was the PDP; and therefore, we were flushed out. But is the PDP still bad as they said? Is the country worse than where it was in 2014? If it is worse, then it means we should look for a way forward.
” For me, the way forward is that, in all our aspirations and divisions as citizens of this country, politicians or activists, we should put Nigeria first. Let Nigeria be built, whether you are in the APC or PDP. Let us talk about the raging insecurity, and the unity evading us. If we put Nigeria first, the aspirations can follow in any political party. But today, we put our aspirations ahead of the country; and the country has been totally exhausted.”
Asked on the best way to ensure good governance in the country and trust in those running the affairs of the country, the former foreign affairs minister said those in leadership position must have the interest of the people at heart.
” First, Nigerians are very honest when it comes to leadership. They believe in leadership, and that is why when you talk as a leader they believe in you. That’s why they believed in Buhari, even though he was telling lies. When he said that subsidy was a fraud, as a former petroleum minister and head of state, they believed him. He said Boko Haram was perpetrated by the PDP, they believed in him, he said the economy was in bad shape because the PDP was stealing money, they believed him. Therefore, Nigerians believe in leadership when they talk. So we should begin to be honest and look at Nigerians and not exploit their innocence.
“When the APC was campaigning, what they said in Kano was different from what they said in Plateau because they understood the division of each zone and began to harp on that and amplify it. But in the PDP, as a Nigerian family, we are all one, whether North or South; wherever we go, we have a common approach. It is all about unity, stability and prosperity, that is what we have been doing. It is about restoring our values, common goals and lives. ”
On the future of the ruling APC and the presidential ambition of Tinubu, Lamido said :”The APC will collapse because the main structure holding it is hatred for the PDP. Having been in government and failed to fulfill their promises, they have been exposed for what they are, liars.
“And Buhari, who is the main catalyst of the party will not be there anymore. Then Tinubu, who is supposed to be the Jagaban of the APC, they don’t like him because if he gets there he will bury Buhari’s history. So, literally the bond will mutually evaporate and they will all go away. It is going to be PDP in 2023.
“It means we should get our party properly stabilised, restore its dignity, culture and tradition to get back to government in 2023, or we keep on misbehaving like we are doing now, fooling ourselves and there will be a PDP government in 2023 but it will be as worse as the APC. Either good or bad, I know PDP will win.”
(DAILYTRUST)