Lamido: El-Rufai Unfit to Lead Opposition, SDP’s Offer Is an Insult

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has dismissed the call by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, for prominent opposition leaders to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), describing it as an insult to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).  

El-Rufai, in an interview with the BBC on Saturday, urged key opposition figures—including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola—to abandon their parties and join the SDP.

However, responding in a separate interview with the BBC on Sunday, Lamido criticized El-Rufai’s invitation, questioning his political standing and loyalty.

“It’s an act of disrespect for him to make that call. How can a little child claim to be more intelligent than his grandfather? The party we formed, the PDP, is the one that gave birth to El-Rufai,” Lamido said.

Reaffirming his commitment to the PDP, the former governor rejected the idea of defecting, asserting that he had no reason to leave the party.

“You’re not enough to make us leave the PDP,” he declared. “If I was going to leave the PDP, I would have done so in 2014 when the APC was formed.”

Lamido also recalled El-Rufai’s past remarks dismissing the role of elders in Nigerian politics, questioning the former Kaduna governor’s sudden call for opposition figures to rally under his leadership.

“He once said that there are no elders in Nigerian politics, but now he is calling on us to join him in the SDP. He doesn’t have that capacity,” Lamido stated.

Further scrutinizing El-Rufai’s defection from the APC, he said, “He claimed he told President Buhari about his decision to leave the APC, but now he is saying that he is one of the adults in Nigerian politics.”

Lamido stressed that leadership requires patience, vision, and a commitment to national unity rather than personal grudges.

“Leadership is done with patience and vision, and doing things for the peace of the followers and the country as a whole,” he said.

He also urged El-Rufai to prioritize patriotism over personal grievances.

“What should be done is to put patriotism first, instead of showing anger towards someone,” he advised.

Lamido reaffirmed the PDP’s ongoing efforts to strengthen itself following its loss in the 2015 presidential election.

“The PDP has been working to rebuild its strength after losing the 2015 presidential election,” he added.

The post Lamido: El-Rufai Unfit to Lead Opposition, SDP’s Offer Is an Insult appeared first on Kano Times.