Politics

Why Bola Ige Told Us He Didn’t Trust Northerners – Lamido

Published

3 months ago

May 22, 2025

Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, one of the original nine persons (G9) who laid the foundation of what later became the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has revealed how the late Chief Bola Ige challenged northerners in the group to prove their sincerity in the fight against General Abacha’s rule.

Lamido gave an account of Ige’s challenge in chapter eight, page 148, of his recently launched autobiography, “Being True To Myself”, which was unveiled to the public on May 13th.

According to him, nine politicians – ex-Vice President Alex Ekwueme, former Oyo State Governor Bola Ige, Senator Francis Ellah, ex-Central Bank Governor Alhaji Adamu Chiroma, ex-Plateau State Governor Solomon Lar, Prof. Jerry Gana, ex-Kano State Governor Abubakar Rimi, ex-Senate President Iyiochia Ayu, and himself, Lamido – met at No. 9 Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, to strategise on the next course of action after Abacha denied their political parties registration.

He said that in the course of discussions, while Prof. Jerry Gana was making a point, “Gana was interrupted by Bola Ige, who said, ‘Look, Sule, before going into details about this G9, you see, Rimi is my good friend, my colleague.

“Adamu Ciroma is my friend. I know both of them very well.

“I know a lot of people from the North. Your collective position on many issues within the last few years has revealed that the North responds as one entity.

“The North has an agenda, and therefore, Rimi, Lar, Adamu, and all the other members here present, I don’t trust you.

“You are trying to use us to create a kind of moral force, a national momentum, but you have a private agenda behind it.

“Otherwise, if you want me to believe you, go back to the North and create a fresh group to challenge Abacha’s military government.

Only if you do that will I believe you.’”

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Lamido went on to say, “In my response to Bola Ige’s challenge, I simply said, ‘We agree; you are right.’

“The fact of the matter was that, whether we accepted it or not, Abacha was regarded by other sections of the country to symbolically represent the people of the North.

“For them, he was simply a Northerner, and whoever was familiar with the manipulations of the government would be forgiven for imagining that we were all a party to it.

“This would support the argument that if we were genuinely against the military government, we should go back home and establish our own Northern pressure group to challenge it.

“In the end, we returned to the North and convened a meeting with that single motive.”

Speaking further, the author explained that on returning to the North, the group invited and met with people from different backgrounds, like Dr Usman Bugaje, a university lecturer who was an associate of General Shehu Yar’Adua, and the radical retired Colonel Dangiwa Umar.

Ex-Kaduna State civilian Governor Balarabe Musa was also invited.

He explained that Balarabe Musa and Chief Sunday Awoniyi turned down the invitation to join the new movement.

Lamido further stated, “I remember many other activists today who were popular advocates for democracy and stood for particular principles but had refused to be part of us because they were afraid of Abacha.

“Thus, in the end, only eighteen of us turned up at that historic meeting held at Adamu Ciroma’s house.

“A written communication to General Sani Abacha was drafted and adopted to explain our concerns and objections to his political transition programme, and we all signed it.”

He confessed that the birth of what later became G18 was in response to Chief Ige’s challenge.

The ex-Jigawa State Governor wrote, “Back to the formation of the G18, I remember that it was almost entirely composed of ‘Yan Arewa (Northerners)’.

“Having written and signed the petition to General Sani Abacha, the Head of the Military Government, to explain our position concerning his political transition programme, we immediately sent it off.

“It was a response to the challenge by Chief Bola Ige and to demonstrate that the G9 was now a national movement.

“We, therefore, wanted to come back from Lagos to start our revolt from the North; that was how we convened the G18 meeting for Northern members only.

“Subsequently, the G34 was born, comprising people from all parts of Nigeria, setting in motion the political opposition to Abacha’s self-succession agenda.”
(VANGUARD)

Politics

Crisis Rocks Sokoto APC As Defunct CPC Bloc Alleges Marginalisation

Published

6 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

A fresh crisis is rocking the Sokoto State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) have accused the party of sidelining them in appointments and decision-making.

Speaking at a CPC reunion meeting held on Saturday at Sokoto Guest Inn, the group’s leader, Hon. Ibrahim Magaji Gusau, alleged that despite forming a large segment of APC members in the state, they have been systematically marginalised.

Gusau recalled that after the 2025 general elections, former President Muhammadu Buhari promised CPC loyalists ministerial slots, federal board chairmanships, and special assistant positions—commitments that, according to him, were never fulfilled.

“We played a crucial role in the formation and success of APC, yet our contributions have been ignored. If these grievances are not addressed, we may be left with no choice but to seek alternative political platforms ahead of 2027,” Gusau declared.

The development has heightened internal tensions in the Sokoto APC, raising fears of a possible implosion as the 2027 elections approach.

Analysts say the crisis mirrors similar complaints from CPC loyalists across northern states, who feel increasingly alienated under the dominance of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) bloc since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergence.

In Sokoto, the situation is further complicated by the ongoing supremacy battle between Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and Senator Ibrahim Lamido, a rivalry that has split the party into two factions.

Political observers warn that if left unresolved, the crisis could cost the APC its stronghold in the North-West. Stakeholders are now urging the party’s national chairman, Dr. Nentawe Yildwata, to intervene and reconcile aggrieved members.

Politics

US Desperate To Remove You, Cleric Warns Tinubu

Published

19 hours ago

August 23, 2025

Editor

The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu again regarding the vice president, Kashim Shettima, and his 2027 second-term ambition, while also stating that America is “desperate to remove” the president.

Primate Ayodele, in a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, warned Tinubu not to drop Shettima as his running mate, noting that even if the VP offends the president, he should settle it for his own good.

He explained that an attempt to bring another person on board would be a “huge minus” and would “destroy his chances and bring unnecessary enemies to him.”

“Dropping Shettima will cause trouble for you; those who want him out are your enemies who don’t want you to succeed. Anything that Shettima might have done, forget it, and let’s move the country forward,” the cleric advised.

Politics

I’m Not Ready To Go Into The Gutters With Anyone – Makinde

Published

2 days ago

August 21, 2025

Editor

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday, said he is not ready to “go low with anyone who decides to go into the gutters.”

He made this statement while addressing journalists shortly after the South-West zoning consultative summit of the Peoples Democratic Party, held in Lagos.

He said, “Personally, when people go low or go into the gutters, I don’t go with them. Some people are now going into the gutters. We will reach out to them. That is democracy.

“I can disagree with people, but there shouldn’t be anything personal here. It should be about what we are giving to Nigerians because they are watching.”

The governor added that despite challenges, recent elections had shown that the PDP remained a formidable force.

“In all our states, they showed last Saturday that PDP is not dead. In most other places of the 12 states, PDP came second. It is an indication to us that if we continue to work hard, we can reclaim the confidence of Nigerians,” he said.

When asked about discussions on zoning of the PDP presidential ticket to the South, Makinde said the party was not yet at that stage.

“We haven’t even gotten there. We need to have a party first before you start talking about presidential candidates. If we don’t have a party, anything you are trying to do will fall flat.

“Our efforts right now are directed towards having a vibrant and united PDP that Nigerians will be proud of and believe in again,” he said.

Dignitaries at the meeting include the Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the party’s National Zoning Committee and Bayelsa state governor, Douye Diri; Governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, Peter Mba of Enugu State, represented by his deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai; former Osun Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Bode George; and Monsurat Sunmonu.

Others were 12 of the 17 PDP National Assembly members and key stakeholders of the party from across the southern states.