Former Jigawa governor Sule Lamido said he’s truly sad that he had to drag the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Federal High Court in Abuja after being barred from the party’s 2025 national convention.
Lamido, who served two terms as governor (2007–2015) and was once foreign affairs minister, recalled his long‑standing relationship with the PDP, noting that he built the party “with sweat and soul.”
He said he went to the party secretariat on 27 October to buy the national‑chairmanship nomination form, but officials refused to sell it to him. That denial pushed him to file an ex‑parte motion on 31 October, asking the court to restrain the PDP from holding the convention until his complaint was heard.
Justice Peter Lifu granted a restraining order, stopping the PDP’s convention (scheduled for 15–16 November in Ibadan) and barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from monitoring or recognising it.
The judge found the PDP had failed to publish the convention timetable to members as required by law and that Lamido’s exclusion would cause him “greater harm.”
The court also ordered the PDP to pay damages if the suit was later deemed frivolous.
Speaking after the ruling, Lamido lamented: “If my party lost, I also lose. I feel like crying, taking this path. When we fight as brothers, the trust is lost, the bond of brotherhood is also lost.”
He added that he still supports the opposition’s unity under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) but will never leave the PDP.
The case was adjourned for judgment on 13 November 2025.