Who is Afraid of Sule Lamido? -By Abdu Abdullahi

The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) is increasingly being afflicted by the virus of disunity. We are all watching with a great suspense and analytical inquisition. How will it successfully manage its crisis and forge ahead as a vibrant political party? Indeed,the outcome of its national convention in Ibadan will produce the answer.

Meanwhile, the depth of the crisis largely depends on the seemingly cabals domineering complexity, political insincerity and moral violence. Others are power control mentality, cheap popularity disorder and contemptuous idiosyncrasies among others. In a summary, it is all about who gets what, when and how. Thanks to Harold Lasswell for the indepth analysis on the working psychology of self -serving politicians.

The history of the PDP is firmly tied to the history of the current democratic dispensation. It is the narrative of the fearless fight against military despotism when the party started as G 32 group at its embryonic stage. Its foundational pillars were and are still national cohesion, fairness, upholding democratic ideals, and the quest for national development. It has been a large connecting bridge bringing together Nigerians, regardless of region, ethnicity, religion. For the first time in our political history, politicians with different ideological backgrounds decided to live in the same house as a family. But some home-grown power brokers are vent on distorting this political distinction to perfect their personal agenda.

Now, the alteration of PDP’s tale has brought the unfortunate story of the good, the bad and the ugly episodes. What is mostly ridiculous is the frantic bid to erode the strong pillars of the party by some reactionary elements who have dangerously vowed that they have nothing to lose by uplifting undeserved privileges higher at the expense of principles of democracy.

The first duty of every practical politician is justice and the most violent element of politics is selfishness. We are talking about liberating ourselves from the shackles of military despotism but we still have some minds that are still persistently slaves to modern autocracy. The real tragedy of a political party is the poverty of democratic ideals in complete disregard for national aspirations.

A party that has more justice is a party that will have less chaos. The late Gandhi teaches us that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Therefore, the PDP platform should give its members a source of inspiration to serve others. Conflicts may die young, but we must be careful of sentimental hostility as the potent political weapon of destroying political parties.

PDP’s history is inexaustible without mentioning and celebrating Alhaji Sule Lamido as one of its founding members. The creation of the PDP has Lamido as part of its roots. That is why the prevailing circumstance calls for his contest of the post of the party’s national chairman. Thus, he is not primarily driven by inordinate ambition. He has a political duty to fulfill at this trying period of the party. Surprisingly, there are organised obstacles to obstruct his way. While he nurtures the insatiable desire to invent a new PDP and realize its reserved potentialities, the strong opposition against him by some party elements is understandable. It is a typical example of my argument on political opportunism, where the North bleeds.

Lamido’s political attraction is real and appealing while many political characters are unreal and lackadaisical. He is firmly supported and consolidated by his massive political resources and independent assertion. The political singularity of Lamido has all its expressions in character and integrity, wisdom and dedication, resourcefulness and creativity. When other party members see the PDP through the constricted vision of personal fulfillment, Lamido views it from the angle of national fulfillment. For long, he had liberated his mind from the political disease of self-aggrandizement which is now the existing order of our politics.

Culled from the exalted wisdom of the late Abraham Lincoln, for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Lincoln is cautioning that we should not rely on selfish politicians but be passionate of dedicated leaders. The genuine Lamido is encapsulated by his autobiography, ‘Being True to Myself’. After reading the book, you will know the Lamido you did not know. Being true to himself will work for the PDP as its chairman and reposition it to take its rightful space. We were joyful when he was true to himself as he deployed a strong political will, restoring the confidence of the people in governance, strengthening the significance of the masses oriented government in Jigawa between 2007 and 2015.

The PDP under Lamido will definitely shift considerable power from powerful party members to the party and assert the genuity of party supremacy. He is known to be a politician with a wealth of experiences spanning four decades and therefore can weather the storm. He has been the defence of the PDP when others cannot defend it. He has been the voice of the party when others have lost their voices. He has been a true friend of the PDP without being nomadic thereby reinforcing his ideological identity.

He will certainly work on emerging realities by allowing the party to suffer the pains of discipline than allowing it to suffer the pains of internal politics bleeding. As a student of the political school of the late Malam Aminu Kano, he was taught how to say NO which is harder than saying YES. Under his stewardship, the PDP will be more of a national project and enhance the quality of politics.

Turning the PDP into a political commodity in the hands of some people is glaringly dangerous and undemocratic. The hard labour Lamido exerted to give the PDP life, through which others derive political benefits, shall never be in vain!

Abdu Abdullahi
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