Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido says his lawsuit against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a personal battle to reclaim his dignity, not an attack on the party. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Lamido said the case was about restoring his rights after the party allegedly denied him the chance to purchase forms for the national chairmanship position.
Lamido lamented that the PDP, once united, had been weakened by distrust. Although he won the case, he said it was painful that the victory came at the expense of party unity.
He ruled out attending the national convention scheduled for November 15 in Ibadan, saying doing so would contradict the court order that stopped the event. “The court restored my dignity. I cannot go to a convention that has been clearly restrained,” he said.
Lamido also dismissed claims that he met with governors over the crisis, blaming them instead for the party’s decline. “PDP had 14 governors; today there are only three. The problem came from the governors,” he said, insisting he was not desperate for the chairmanship but believed he could help rebuild the party.
The controversy deepened when an Oyo State High Court adjourned ruling on whether it had jurisdiction over another suit challenging the legality of the convention. While the court allowed preparations to continue, a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a final order halting the convention until Lamido is permitted to buy the nomination form.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki urged the party to suspend the convention and appoint a caretaker committee to ease tensions. However, PDP governors and key stakeholders insisted the November 15–16 dates remain unchanged. Delegates have already begun arriving in Ibadan for the event.
