Lamido Threatens Legal Action Against PDP Over Chairmanship Nomination Form

Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has threatened to take legal action against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if the party prevents him from purchasing the nomination form to contest for its national chairmanship position.

Lamido, who formally declared his interest in the position on Monday, expressed frustration after he was unable to obtain the nomination form during a visit to the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.

Speaking with journalists at the party headquarters, the former governor said he was “stranded” after discovering that the office of the national organising secretary, which is responsible for selling nomination forms, was locked.

“I went to the office of the national organising secretary, which is normally where the forms are sold, and the office was locked,” Lamido said. “I met him with the national secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and both of them said they had no idea where the forms were or even how they were printed. I found it a little weird that the custodian of the system is also being locked out.”

Lamido said he was later informed that the forms were now under the control of Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, who serves as chairman of the party’s National Convention Organising Committee (NCOC).

“So, for me to buy the form, I have to go to Adamawa? If I don’t get the form, I’ll go to court. Simple,” he declared.

Describing the development as “unfortunate,” Lamido accused party leaders of operating in secrecy and undermining internal democracy. He said the PDP must not alienate long-standing members who had laboured to keep the party alive through difficult times.

He also dismissed speculations that he was being sidelined over alleged links to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying those making such claims were newcomers to the PDP.

“Where were they when we fought for the party all through the last 25 years? Don’t bring up divisive issues. I don’t want to lose my composure. They met me in the PDP — all of them,” Lamido said.

The former governor warned that the party’s growing disregard for due process could weaken its internal structures and damage its chances ahead of the 2027 general election.

“The PDP should be able to organise its own house. The only way we can win is by having a disciplined party. If we don’t follow our constitution and procedures, how do we win elections?” he asked.

The build-up to the PDP’s forthcoming national convention has been fraught with tension, legal disputes, and factional disagreements over the choice of a “consensus candidate” for national chairman.

Northern PDP stakeholders recently endorsed Kabiru Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, as their consensus candidate at a meeting in Abuja attended by Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and acting National Chairman Umar Damagum.

Other notable figures at the meeting included Bukola Saraki, Jerry Gana, Abba Moro, and Ibrahim Shekarau.

However, the decision has sparked backlash from some North-West PDP stakeholders, who said the position was micro-zoned to their region but that they were neither consulted nor invited to the meeting that produced Turaki’s endorsement.

They insisted that the original zonal consultation meeting had been postponed and that the purported consensus decision lacked legitimacy.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit seeking to halt the PDP national convention is expected to be heard on October 31, further complicating the party’s efforts to resolve its internal leadership dispute.

Lamido’s threat of legal action adds a fresh layer of tension to the unfolding crisis, as the PDP grapples with internal fractures ahead of what many members see as a make-or-break convention for the opposition party.