Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has firmly rejected the invitation by ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai, who recently dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the SDP, had in a BBC Hausa interview called on opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, to join his new party.
Although El-Rufai did not mention Lamido by name, the PDP chieftain took the invitation as an affront, dismissing it as an insult. Speaking in a separate interview with BBC Hausa on Sunday, March 16, 2025, Lamido reminded El-Rufai that the PDP was responsible for his rise in politics.
“The party we formed, the PDP, is the one that gave birth to El-Rufai. You’re not enough to make us leave the PDP,” Lamido said.
He criticized El-Rufai’s political inconsistency, recalling how the former governor once claimed there were no responsible elders in Nigerian politics but is now calling on them to join him in SDP.
Lamido also questioned El-Rufai’s decision to leave the APC, suggesting that leadership requires patience, vision, and a commitment to national peace.
“Leadership is done with patience and vision, and doing things for the peace of the followers and the country as a whole,” he remarked.
Reaffirming his loyalty to the PDP, Lamido stated that he had no reason to defect, noting that if he ever intended to leave, he would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed.
He further advised El-Rufai to prioritize patriotism over personal grievances, emphasizing the need for unity and progress in Nigerian politics.
“The PDP has been working to rebuild its strength after losing the 2015 presidential election,” he concluded.
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