Lamido pledges to support Obi if he emerges ADC presidential candidate
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has pledged to support Peter Obi’s presidential quest if he emerges the presidential candidate of the adopted coalition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Lamido said if Obi gets the ADC ticket, he will support him in the 2027 presidential election. “If the coalition produces Peter Obi or anyone else committed to rescuing Nigeria, I will support them. But I remain PDP. We should have outgrown tribal and regional sentiments,” per Vanguard report.
The former Jigawa governor added: “Leadership should be about competence and vision, not geography. What has the North gained from producing the most presidents if the region remains underdeveloped? I’m open to any arrangement that can confront the APC and rescue Nigeria. I’ll support those who share that goal.”
The former governor explained that zoning between the North and South was a creation of the PDP designed to solve a specific problem which was the annulment of the June 12 election. According to him, “it was meant to be a healing mechanism, a temporary measure to restore trust. But now, it has become an albatross.”
On its part, The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, says since the North lacks options they might stick with Peter Obi and his promise to serve one term in office if elected president of the country in 2027, given his track record of keeping to promises.
The National President of MBF, Dr Bitrus Pogu maintained that the North would have no choice but to support a candidate from the South that they could trust since any move to produce a candidate from the North might not fly. He said that they could support Peter Obi based on his promise or former President Goodluck Jonathan if he is allowed, and the fact that the law would permit him only one term.
Dr. Pogu said, “I want to say that a drowning person wouldn’t mind even holding onto a straw thinking that it will save him. So, in the situation which the North finds itself in, I do not think that their choices are many. Getting a Northerner to contest is a problem and they must have to trust somebody that has a track record of consistency which Peter Obi seems to have.
“But the issue now is, in spite of his pronouncement, in spite of the fact that they may extract a written agreement from him, will they faithfully carry out their support promises. That is the issue, because some of them could still say let us try our Atiku again or try one of those ones in the North, but they know that it is not going to sell, they know that very well. So they may still go for somebody in the South, either somebody who will promise them like Peter Obi or somebody like former President Jonathan if it is allowed, knowing that he cannot go beyond one term. So these are the options they have, because when people lack options, of course any option is a good option.”
