In the ever-dramatic theatre of Nigerian politics, there’s hardly a dull moment. But every now and then, a political figure grabs the mic with enough fire and flair to get everyone leaning in. This week, that man was Sule Lamido — former Jigawa State Governor, PDP chieftain, and one-time Minister of Foreign Affairs — who gave what many are now calling a “masterclass in political loyalty.”
While rumours swirled in political corners that Lamido might be flirting with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he showed up in Kano on Tuesday with words as sharp as a tailor’s scissors. And he made one thing very clear: “I can’t simply walk out of my skin and crawl into a smaller one called ADC. I cannot.”
Straight Talk, Northern Style
In typical Northern elder fashion — firm but poetic — Lamido didn’t mince words. His loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he said, is not just political; it’s personal. It’s history. It’s identity. And you don’t just throw that away like yesterday’s suya.
“The PDP made me. It gave me the platform to serve as Foreign Affairs Minister and Governor. It is my heritage,” he said, visibly proud, yet composed.
That said, Lamido isn’t living in denial. He knows the PDP is no longer the giant it once was. Still, he’s not about to jump ship — especially not to a party he likened to a “smaller skin.” In Nigerian speak, that’s a polite way of saying, “They no reach.”
Vision Bigger Than the Party
What’s interesting, though, is that Lamido is not shutting the door on broader political collaboration. With 2027 already on the minds of the politically restless, he said he’s open to any alliance — inside or outside the PDP — so long as it serves Nigeria’s best interest.
“I believe in Nigeria,” he said. “So any arrangement that will secure and save this country, I am ready to work with it in 2027.”
That, friends, is elder statesmanship talking.
More States, More Wahala?
In the same breath, Lamido weighed in on the recent calls for the creation of more states. He didn’t say “no,” but he did give a dose of sobering reality. For him, adding new states won’t magically fix the country’s real issues — like insecurity, hunger, poverty, or our North-South divide.
“Let’s face it. More states won’t feed the hungry or stop the killings. We have more serious problems,” he warned.
And About Kwankwaso…
On Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s recent political ‘waka’ to President Bola Tinubu, Lamido kept things mature and democratic. No shade. No salt.
“Kwankwaso is his own man. He has every right to visit whoever he chooses,” Lamido said, brushing off any attempt to stir fresh drama between Kano’s political giants.
The Man and His Skin
Sule Lamido isn’t everyone’s cup of kunu, but one thing you can’t take from him is his consistency. In an era where political loyalty often lasts as long as a Twitter trend, Lamido’s commitment to the PDP — despite its many headaches — is almost nostalgic. It’s the type of old-school loyalty that says, “Na where I chop, I still dey sit.”
Love him or not, the man has spoken — and in typical Naija fashion, with body, soul, and a sprinkle of sarcasm. For Lamido, politics is not a costume party where you change clothes at will.
Because, as he put it, “You can’t renounce your history just to fit into a smaller skin.”
Now that’s one headline even his political opponents might secretly admire.
