Former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, yesterday, said no southern candidate is a better alternative to former President Goodluck Jonathan if he joins the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the 2027 polls.
“With all due respect to the PDP, I do not see a better alternative to Jonathan if he comes to PDP. I do not see any other person, really, if the PDP is giving the president to someone from the South. Who is there in PDP that can stand Jonathan politically, in terms of being there in office, in terms of being cool-headed, in terms of being willing to listen and believing in partnership?
“When it comes to putting somebody in for Nigeria, people are more than willing to make sacrifices. For instance, I am sure Atiku and Obi will say, ‘Okay, I will make that sacrifice.’ The same thing if it is going to be Atiku or Obi. So, it is an issue of, now that Nigeria now wants somebody, and anybody put forward by the PDP, you know, for Nigeria, Nigeria will support him.”
Speaking on Obi saying he would not do more than one term if elected, Lamido said, “When he says I will not do more than one term, I mean, is he there now? Has there been a convention? Has he emerged? That is why I say we should be able to look at 2027 in a more sober way, in a more reflective way, so that, you know, we do not miss the issue. We should not really ignore the main issue. You are dealing with Tinubu and APC. And dealing with them means you need a very cool head.
“Let Nigerians say they want it first before you say, ‘We are going to do all that.’ So, when you begin to throw this kind of rhetoric about, you are simply ignoring or abandoning the fact that it’s about Nigeria and Nigerian leadership, to which we are all stakeholders.”
Lamido also mentioned that Tinubu is failing to fulfil his campaign promises: “If you go by what Tinubu said, that if we fail to give you power in four years, please don’t vote for us, I think that today, there is no excuse that he has not failed. Tinubu, please leave power, because you have failed to give us power.
“Tinubu, going by what he has done in the last two years and the way he has emerged in the country – look all over the country, North and South – by 12 noon, Tinubu is finished.”
