“I Will Not Attend PDP Meetings Until Wike and Ortom Are Expelled” — Sule Lamido

Sule Lamido, the former Governor of Jigawa State and a prominent member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has announced that he will refrain from attending party meetings until Nyesom Wike and Samuel Ortom, among others, are expelled.

In an interview with journalists, Lamido emphasized the need for these expulsions, citing Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and former Benue State Governor Ortom as individuals who have undermined the party’s interests during the 2023 general elections.

Lamido, who has served as the National Secretary of the now-defunct Social Democratic Party, recalled his previous efforts to expel late Arthur Nzeribe from the SDP and expressed disappointment over the current lack of discipline within the party.

He stated, “In our era, the party was dominant. It wielded complete authority, and everyone, regardless of their location—North, South, East, or West—respected it. Anyone, no matter how powerful, who defied the party would face consequences.

“Today, individuals actively opposing the PDP are still being tolerated. For instance, Wike, who professes his loyalty to the PDP while clearly undermining it, should be expelled by the National Working Committee (NWC). Why hasn’t that occurred?

“Consider the Board of Trustees (BOT). Members like Ortom, who supported Peter Obi in 2023, remain in their positions. That’s why I’ve stated I will not attend any PDP meetings unless Wike is expelled and individuals like Ortom are removed from the BOT. I am still a member of the PDP, but I refuse to engage in party activities or respond to meeting invitations while these individuals hold leadership roles.

“How can I sit down with someone like Ortom in the BOT to discuss the future of the PDP? Or with someone like Anyanwu, who is rejected in his own region and is now being imposed by another?”

The former Governor of Jigawa State criticized the FCT Minister, labeling him an ingrate intent on undermining the PDP, the party that helped him gain political prominence.

“Here is someone who was honored by the PDP and owes his relevance to the party, yet he now turns against the very organization that supported him. Wike is, frankly, a disaster.

His actions are both un-African and un-Nigerian.
“I cannot comprehend how someone can become so consumed by personal ambition that they act so destructively. There used to be a party culture that valued the collective good—something selfless—but that seems to have vanished.

“To seal off the PDP secretariat—the party that nurtured and developed you—regardless of your grievances or bitterness, is akin to destroying your own home. He claims to have financed the party.”