Sule Lamido Urges Former Members to Rejoin the Party at PDP Convention

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, made a heartfelt plea on Sunday, urging disillusioned members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and those who have defected to return to the fold, emphasizing the need for unity and a renewed commitment to the national interest.

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Lamido's impassioned appeal was made at the PDP's 10th Elective National Convention in Abuja, where he stressed that the party must reflect on its founding ideals and the sacrifices that shaped its emergence in 1998.

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Speaking from a historical perspective, Lamido began by asking poignant questions about the PDP's past, including its state in 1998, the vision of its founders, and the challenges it faced at the time.

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Lamido recalled that the party was formed during a critical period in Nigeria's history, following the crisis triggered by the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which had heightened divisions across the country.

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In 1998, the main challenge before the PDP was national unity, especially in the aftermath of the events of June 12, and it was in this context that the party's leaders came together, Lamido explained.

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Lamido listed key figures involved in the party's early formation, including the late Solomon Lar, Alex Ekwueme, Adamu Ciroma, Jerry Gana, Abubakar Rimi, and Sunday Awoniyi, noting that consultations began as early as 1996-97 during Nigeria's transition to civilian rule.

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He emphasized that Nigeria's diminished state at the time, despite its importance in the global community, necessitated the formation of the PDP, which was driven by a desire to play a leading role globally and harness the country's vast human and material resources.

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Lamido stressed that sacrifice and a focus on the national interest, rather than personal ambition, were central to the PDP's founding, and that this principle remains essential to the party's purpose.

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Addressing younger Nigerians, Lamido positioned himself as a bridge between generations, urging them not to give up and to stand for Nigeria, while warning that the country risks returning to the same divisions that existed before the return to democratic rule.

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Lamido cautioned that the dangers of tribal politics, religion, and ethnicity still confront Nigeria today, and that unity is the minimum benchmark for leadership, emphasizing that the country cannot grow or move forward without it.

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He called on party members to embrace a collective national vision and set aside grievances, adding that the PDP is once again trying to reinvent itself despite its difficulties.

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Lamido made a direct appeal to defectors to return to the PDP, describing the party as a political home with deep roots across the country, where many other parties have their origins.

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He emphasized that the PDP is not about any individual, ego, or ambition, but rather a party that has given many people opportunities to serve in various capacities, and that it belongs to all Nigerians.

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Lamido urged those who have left the party to come back, promising that the PDP is ready to forgive and move forward for the sake of Nigeria and the party itself, and that the journey ahead requires courage, conviction, and character.