In a revealing account of past political alliances, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, shed light on the turning point in his relationship with Sule Lamido, the former governor of Jigawa State.
He traced their fallout back to a collective decision to challenge President Goodluck Jonathan’s leadership, a pivotal moment that tested loyalties and redefined alliances.
Amaechi, speaking in a video shared by Symfoni TV, revisited the deep political camaraderie he once shared with Lamido. The duo, known for their reform-driven stance during their time in office, often aligned on key issues.
Yet Amaechi revealed that their bond began to crack due to a misjudgment on his part. “I made the mistake of assuming that he was as radical as I was,” he confessed, admitting that while they shared ideals, their methods sharply diverged.
Their collaboration reached its peak when they joined forces with other governors to resist President Jonathan’s administration ahead of the 2015 election. This coalition gave birth to a strategic committee aimed at galvanizing opposition efforts. But the unity was short-lived.
According to Amaechi, “The last one before we broke ranks was when we agreed, all of us agreed, to go against President Goodluck Jonathan, and we formed a committee of governors and others.”
The real crack emerged when Lamido broke away and supported the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a move Amaechi and the others rejected.
“We said, ‘If we go to the new party called SDP, we will lose the election. Let’s hang on to this one called the APC,’” Amaechi added, emphasizing the strategic miscalculation he believed Lamido made.
