Ex Jigawa Governor says Atiku should step down for Buhari

Former Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, says there’s no way he is going to step down for

Lamido’s comments arrive as a response to Atiku’s, who during a meeting with PDP leaders in Dutse, Jigawa State on Monday, said he expects Lamido to step down for him eventually because he considers the former Jigawa governor a younger brother.

Atiku hinged his advice to Lamido on a third republic scenario in the then Social Democratic Party (SDP).

At the time, the younger Umaru Yar’adua was persuaded to drop his governorship ambition in Katsina for his elder brother Musa Yar'adua to pursue his presidential dreams at the center.

“But with the intervention of elders in the state, the junior brother Umar Musa stepped down for another aspirant so that the politics will not be a family affair, leaving Shehu Musa to contest for president while someone from another family vied for governor,” Abubakar said.

Abubakar told the gathering that his mother hails from Jigawar Sarki, a village in Dutse Local Government Area of Jigawa State, as he buttressed the point that he considers Lamido family.

'Atiku should be the one stepping down'

But in a quick riposte, Lamido said if anyone was going to step down for the other in the race to govern Nigeria, it should be Atiku.

“While it is true he (Mr Abubakar) is older than me age-wise, I’m senior to him politically because I was in the House of Representatives in 1979 when he was an employee of Nigeria Customs Services”, Lamido said in a statement issued by his media aide, Adamu Usman.

“And if age is the criterion for standing election, then he should drop out for Buhari.”

Lamido added that he has been “patient, loyal, committed and consistent” in politics despite all the odds thrown his way through the years.

“Even if Lamido did not show interest to contest, PDP should have called him to be the flag bearer and if there is anyone the other aspirants should step down for, it should be Sule Lamido because he has the goodwill, political experience and capacity to confront the ruling party, APC.

“Also if Lamido is to step down, why would he aspire in the first place? Sule Lamido is out to run for the president come 2019 God willing,” the statement added.

Fierce primary exercise

The PDP will hold its primary elections on the weekend of October 5 and 6.

Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Gombe Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna Governor Ahmed Makarfi, former Sokoto Governors Attahiru Bafarawa and Aminu Tambuwal are some of the high profile PDP politicians who have declared their interests to run for the office of president ahead of the 2019 elections.