A former Governor of Jigawa State and prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has reportedly expressed readiness to support Mr. Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, provided he emerges as the consensus candidate of the opposition coalition.
According to The Vanguard, it was reported that similarly, the Middle Belt Forum has indicated that it may have no alternative but to align with Obi, citing his reputation for honouring commitments. The group noted that the former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election has demonstrated a consistent track record of keeping to his promises.
Lamido, who was responding to a question as to whether he would support Obi, who has offered to spend a single term of four- years if he wins the 2027 presidential election, said, “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.
Expanding on his position, the former Jigawa State Governor stated that leadership should be defined by competence and vision rather than regional origin. He questioned the benefit of the North producing the most presidents, noting that the region still suffers from underdevelopment despite this political dominance.
He expressed openness to any political arrangement capable of effectively challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC) and committed to supporting individuals who share the goal of rescuing Nigeria.
He further explained that the concept of zoning between the North and South was originally introduced by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a response to the annulment of the June 12 election. According to him, it was intended as a temporary, trust-restoring measure—a healing mechanism at the time. However, he lamented that what was once a solution had now become an albatross, hindering progress.
