Bode George, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, has attributed former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido’s legal challenge over the party’s 2025 national convention to a misunderstanding of the nomination process.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, George expressed surprise that Lamido resorted to litigation, insisting the former governor did not adhere to the party’s clearly outlined procedures.
George explained that the nomination guidelines were approved at the last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which specified dates for collecting and returning nomination forms.
“All aspirants knew the timeline. Everyone who complied collected the forms and paid the necessary dues. Lamido, however, showed up on the final day for returning forms,” George said.
He added that, given Lamido’s status within the party, his request could have been accommodated if he had reached out to the NEC in advance. “But taking the matter to court because he arrived late? That’s not proper procedure,” he said.
Despite the dispute, George reassured Nigerians that the PDP remains united. “This party is solid and undivided. I am frankly shocked that he took legal action against his own party,” he said, describing the PDP as “an Iroko”—strong and resilient.
The national convention is expected to proceed as scheduled, he said, noting that Justice Akintola had extended the order allowing party operations until Monday, with a final judgment set for December 8.
Lamido, appearing on the same programme, insisted his court action was not an attack on the PDP but a personal effort to reclaim his honour.
“I went to court not to target anyone but to restore my dignity and rights taken by my party,” he said.
He lamented that the case highlighted growing mistrust within the PDP. “A party that once felt like a united family is now fractured. Winning the case was necessary, but it is also disheartening because it concerns our unity,” Lamido said.
The former governor stated that he could not withdraw the suit following the judgment and accused some PDP governors of deepening the crisis.
Lamido also confirmed that he would not attend the convention in Ibadan due to the ongoing court injunction. “The court restored my rights. Attending the convention under the injunction would mean renouncing what the court granted me. I cannot do that,” he said.
