Northern group extols Lamido’s vision

A socio-political group in the North, Northern Alternative Forum (NAF), has congratulated a former Governor of Jigawa State and one-time Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Sule Lamido, on his 76th birthday, describing him as a courageous and visionary leader.

Lamido turned 76 years old on August 30, 2024.

In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, the forum, popularly referred to as northern mafias, commended Lamido’s “unwavering courage and consistency in speaking truth to power, even in the face of adversity.”

NAF acknowledged Lamido’s recent remarks about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a self-made politician who has earned his place in history through hard work and determination, saying it is an example of the former governor’s honesty and integrity.

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“Your acknowledgement of President Tinubu’s political prowess and the challenges ahead for the opposition in 2027 demonstrates your deep understanding of the political landscape and your willingness to speak truth, even when it is not popular,” the statement noted.

The forum however disagreed with Lamido’s claim that Tinubu is an emperor, enjoining him to join hands with the president in moving the nation forward.

Ibrahim said, “We have noted Alhaji Lamido’s position on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially his political sagacity and courage. But we urge the elder statesman to have a rethink of his position on President Tinubu’s governance style, which is gradually wriggling the North, particularly the North West and North East zones, out of poverty.

“President Tinubu is working hard to address the current economic and security challenges in the region and the entire country, and we expect prominent sons from the region like Lamido to give him all the support he needs.

“We hope that Alhaji Lamido will consider dumping PDP, a party that laid the foundation for suffering in Nigeria during their 16-year misrule and join the winning team of President Tinubu’s renewed hope administration to wriggle Nigeria out of poverty, insecurity and economic strangulation.”

Sule Lamido and President Tinubu were amongst the prominent pro-democracy activists who played significant roles in putting pressure on the military class, culminating in the return to democracy in 1999.

Also, as part of the pressure group, he was a prominent member of G34, along with political leaders like late former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, and late Chief Solomon Lar, which later became G-18 and ultimately metamorphosed into the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He was elected the first executive governor of his State (1999-2007), setting the stage for the development of the state created on August 27, 1991, out of the old Kano State.