Obasanjo’s big mistake is Obi’s endorsement – Lamido

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and ex-governor of Jigawa State in the North Eastern, Nigeria, Sule Lamido has reacted to the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.

He described the endorsement as Obasanjo’s “big mistake.”

Lamido stated this while welcoming the former deputy governor of Jigawa State and National Commissioner with the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Ahmad Mahmoud, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ahmad who was deputy governor to Sule Lamido for eight years defected to All Progressives Congress few years ago and now returned to his former party in Jigawa.

Speaking with journalists at Bamaina, his country home in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa, Lamido, said Obasanjo failed to realise that the PDP made him who he is.

“Obasanjo talks because he is a former president. the PDP made him and he is demeaning the PDP. Obasanjo is my boss, and I believe in him, but he is human; he can make mistakes and he made a big mistake for him to endorse a party outside his party which made him what he is, getting the relevance, the image, he has globally.”

“No matter the circumstances, whether power rotation or what, people are dishonest, when it comes to a sense of justice and fairness. When he was in office, he tried for the third term. Is that fair, is that justice? It’s not. I respect him but we have to stand by our tradition, the history of our political party, our philosophy, and PDP made Nigeria what it’s today.

“He is endorsing Peter Obi because he is either angry because of Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu, both men are strong characters and personalities; so, the fear of these very strong men is what is haunting him; that is all.

Lamido argued that Obasanjo enjoys monopoly of space that he was afraid of sharing with anyone, hence, what he said about Peter Obi was a reflection of that fear which was now causing problems for him.

“I have my own beliefs and convictions which I and other like-minded people promote and those of us who share these beliefs and aspirations came together and formed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and PDP formed a government in Nigeria.

“Our people fail to understand that when a party honours you, dignified you; made you who you are, and that is why you are talking. To me, whether it’s Obasanjo or any other person he is talking about because he is a former president, under the PDP.

“The PDP invented him, and honoured, and dignified him and we look at him as a leader, who is inspiring, and motivating and can chart a new course for Nigeria. Those who worked with him in the last 25 years can trust him and respect him. That is his legacy in life. So, it’s very sad that a man that was made by PDP demeaned PDP. It’s sad because what is the lesson he is teaching to the younger generation. No matter how angry we are, we cannot deny history,” Lamido said.