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Alhaji Sule Lamido, the present Governor of Jigawa state courtesy of the joint allocation efforts of life leader Olusegun Obasanjo’s ruling PDP and Maurice Iwu’s INEC was and is not a force to reckon with in the party. But his treachery, thuggery and sycophantic kind of politicking has paid him with an allocation of a governor of a state. For the avoidance of doubt, Sule Lamido came to limelight fist as a politician during the defunct Aminu Kano’s Peoples Redemption Party, PRP days during the second republic. The late Aminu Kano got impressed by Lamido’s youthful desire and commitment to the party’s ideals of emancipating the down trodden masses from the clutches of traditional ruler ship, disease, squalor, hunger and lack of education among others at one of his rallies in the old Kano state and so decided to accordingly reward him with a house of representatives ticket to represent his Birnin Kudu constituency. As a secondary school drop out, Sule Lamido swiftly accepted Aminu Kano’s offer, contested and won the elections on the honour and name of late Mallam. Lamido’s style of politicking has not been the same since then. First, he saw himself as a capable successor of Mohammed A. Rimi as governor of Kano state. He began subterranean and treacherous moves to discredit his political godfather, Rimi in the eyes of Mallam with a view to getting the party’s governorship for the October 1993 elections. Unfortunately for Lamido that did not work out fully for him. He won one and lost one. He won the attempt to discredit Rimi in the eyes of Mallam and caused serious war between them. He did not however succeed in getting the party’s ticket to replace Rimi as the state governor. Since then, Lamido saw treachery as a winning art of enhancing ones political profile. He therefore began to perfect it using every available means and opportunity at his disposal. That perfection earned him the governorship candidature of the Social Democratic Party, SDP during the IBB transition programme in 1999. Lamido could not however make it to the government house as the government of the day disqualified him along with other candidates. Lamido saw that set back as an opportunity to move up to national level to continue practicing what he knows best. This paid him well as he was elected SDP’s national Secretary. Though short lived with the coming of the Shonekan led Interim government, Lamido remained at the centre perfecting treachery and thuggery. He quickly became an observer in the formation of the G8. With the lift on the ban on party politics, Lamido quickly joined the Peoples Democratic Party, the party formed by his godfather, Rimi along with key members of the G8. Due to his kind of niche in politics, another door opened for Lamido and he quickly put it to use, got the blessing of PDP and contested the governorship of Jigawa in 1999. He however lost to Saminu Turaki of the ANPP. Luckily enough for him, Lamido was appointed Nigeria’s minister of Foreign affairs. Whether or nor Sule Lamido made an impact in the ministry is an issue for discussion another day. But briefly, one can confidently say that Lamido’s arrogance did not allow him use an opportunity to learn the art of diplomacy, courtesy and humane feelings. It is looking like I have given a bit of Lamido’s antecedents as an unrefined and uncultured politician. Soon after he was appointed a federal minister, Lamido launched a war against persons who are his political fathers. Take the case of his consistent attacks on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. It is not in the character of the Hausas to begin to cast aspersions and attack their elders in public. But Lamido has been so persistent, and committed in attacking Atiku than in saying his daily five prayers as a Muslim. Since he took oath of office as the governor of Jigawa state, Lamido has resumed his attack on Atiku. Has Lamido signed a covenant with Obasanjo to continuously launch attacks on a prominent citizen like Atiku Abubakar? Lamido must understand that Atiku is not his equal. If not for Obasanjo’s do or die politics, Lamido cannot even be seat in the same room with him npot to even talk of insulting him. It is therefore important to at this point distance Mallam Aminu Kano from this kind of gross disrespect for elders. Mallam never taught his followers to be arrogant, insultive and disrespectful to their leaders. Unfortunately, Lamido has learnt it in his attempt to achieve greatness by hook or crook. Atiku was not the first victim of Lamido’s treachery venom, and he may not be the last. He did it to his political mentors, Mallam and Rimi. The claim by Lamido that his government is a government of the ‘talakawas’ cannot be true. It is too early to say. He has to wait until such a time when his policies and programmes that are directed at improving the lives of the people have reached fruition. Were Mallam to be here today and hear Lamido saying that his government-one that came by ballot stuffing, massive rigging, and ballot box thefts in conjunction with security agents, intimidation and killing of the masses among other electoral offences, he will 100% disown him. One of the evils late Mallam waged war against is to get to power through electoral fraud. It is my candid view that in a morally upright and decent society, the likes of Lamido should bury their heads in shame as he has continuously worked against democracy and the interest of Nigerians particularly while shamelessly defending and promoting a tenure elongation plan for Obasanjo last year. Lamido needs to be told that he was allocated the governorship against even his party members’ interest. Well it is his reward for working with his new found master, Obasanjo to subvert the will, aspirations and interest of the people. But the question to ask Lamido here is if tenure elongation had succeeded, could he have gotten the governorship? Late Mallam and his genuine disciples and Lamido belonged to two different worlds. While the later belongs to the PDP rigging and killing machine, the former belongs to getting to power through popular peoples will and votes. No more, no less. Mallam was an embodiment of democracy. Lamido is today a treacherous democrat. Every average indigene of the old Kano state now Kano and Jigawa states that watched or partake in Mallam’s kind of politicking, knows that Lamido is a fake socialist. I have my doubts if Lamido knows what socialism is all about. Does a pledge of a monthly allowance of N7, 500 or so to each disabled in the state qualify him to running a socialist government? His government is far from being a socialist government. The allowance is a misplacement of priority, especially in an agrarian and poverty stricken state like Jigawa. What are his plans for the peasant farmers and fishermen, artisans, workers, house wives, widows, school drop outs, retirees, unemployed and students at all levels among others? Going by the way Lamido has started his stolen mandate, I seriously sympathise with the people of Jigawa state. They are in for a serious problem. His government may be worse than that of his predecessor, Saminu Turaki. While Turaki squandered the state funds junketing round the world, Lamido will squander it within the country. If his antecedents in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are anything to go by, Jigawa is in for the worst. Their only hope is the election petition tribunal which may upturn the 419 election of Lamido soonest. The feeling in the minds of the indigenes is that Lamido lacks the political maturity, and intellect to govern the state. Only prayers will save Jigawa and its people from the impending catastrophe called a Sule Lamido government. He should not yet celebrate his victory.The coming of Lamido to power has resurrected thuggery and ‘yan daba/banga’ politicking in Jigawa state. Even the royal fathers, I learnt are not too happy about the imposition of Lamido on the people by Obasanjo. Sensing the danger hanging around them and their subjects, some concerned royal fathers and prominent citizens have cried foul of the game plan when Lamido was declared winner of his party’s governorship primaries even when primary election was not conducted. Words went round to key figures in various parts of the country to help the harmless and resilient people of the state from crowning a ‘mad man’ to again preside over their affairs as the governor. They are of the view that they have not yet recovered from the eight years nightmare under the glob trotter, Saminu Turaki. Those who are close to Lamido should tell him that gone are the days when arrogance, power drunkenness, thuggery, treachery, immorality, indiscipline and vindictiveness will earn him the confidence and respect of the common man. He must learn to respect his elders if he expects his subjects to do the same for him. Meanwhile I wish him an early resolution of the problems of debt and lack of funds absence he had just inherited from his predecessor, a fellow PDP governor.
HAJIYA HAFSAT M. ZANNA
Maiduguri Borno State
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