Former Governor of Jigawa State and founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sule Lamido, has expressed confidence in the party’s ability to resolve its ongoing leadership crisis.
Speaking in a recent interview with The Sun, Lamido acknowledged the internal challenges, including calls for the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagun, to step aside.
He, however, described the situation as part of the party’s political journey and history.
Despite the turmoil, Lamido assured that the PDP possesses the political experience and commitment to address the issues and emerge stronger.
Speaking on the crisis in the party, Lamido said, “The PDP as a political party has a history and the challenges within the PDP are something that are well known to all Nigerians.
“What is happening to the leadership is something that is also well known; some of which are internal while others are externally-induced.
“To me, I am optimistic that we can contain the situation. We have got a political history and the political commitment to address the situation. Our biggest problem, however, is the judiciary. I am really very, very sad.
“Political parties are formed by the people; they write their own constitutions, their norms and conventions, which should be guiding their party in terms of their breach.
“And INEC is the umbrella of all the political parties, overseeing their activities and their functions, such as how they submit candidates for elections and others.
“But today, unfortunately, the judiciary has become another department of the APC. And by their action or inaction, they are very clearly fast-tracking the death of democracy in Nigeria.”
Lamido speaking on judiciary fast-tracking the death of democracy he said, “This is because of the judgments being given today by the various courts, a situation whereby courts of similar jurisdiction keep on contradicting themselves.
“The decisions of the various courts today keep on contradicting one another, contradicting even the decision of the Supreme Court. The judgment of the Supreme Court is very clear on the issue of political parties.
“The judgment is clear that nobody can interfere because the parties have got their own constitutions, which they use in running their internal affairs.
“The court can only interfere where the processes and procedures of producing candidates into public offices are breached. And, therefore, the parties must note that because they are producing candidates into public office, they have to do so in clear, transparent and credible process.
“Where they breached their constitutional process, the court can interfere. But issues like who becomes the chairman, who becomes the secretary, who becomes my BOT chairman and how the party is being run on a daily basis by the Working Committee is not the business of the court.”