Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has threatened to drag the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to court over its alleged refusal to sell him a nomination form for the forthcoming national convention scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Lamido, a founding member of the party, is seeking to contest for the position of PDP National Chairman at the convention.
Speaking with journalists on Monday in Abuja, the former governor expressed frustration after his attempt to obtain the chairmanship nomination form at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, ended in failure.
According to him, despite meeting with the PDP National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, both officials claimed ignorance about the whereabouts of the forms.
Lamido accused the party of deliberately frustrating his ambition, describing the development as “strange and undemocratic.”
“I came here to purchase my form because, according to the party’s constitution, sales of forms are normally done at the headquarters,” Lamido said.
“I went to the office of the National Organising Secretary, and it was locked. Both he and the National Secretary said they had no idea where the forms were being sold.”
The controversy comes amid tension in the PDP following the National Executive Committee (NEC) decision of August 25, which zoned the 2027 presidential ticket to the South and the national chairmanship to the North. The position was later micro-zoned to the North-West.
Over the weekend, northern PDP governors, led by Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, reportedly endorsed former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as their consensus candidate for the chairmanship.
However, Lamido’s loyalists, including Umar Bature, rejected the endorsement, arguing that the decision was made without broad consultation.
In a related development, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is said to be supporting his ally and former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, for the same position.
Lamido, who arrived at the PDP headquarters around 11 a.m. with a group of supporters, said he was shocked to find most offices locked and no officials available to attend to him. He vowed to seek legal redress if the party continues to deny him access to the nomination form.
“This is not the PDP we built,” Lamido lamented. “If the leadership continues on this path, I will have no choice but to seek justice in court.”
