2027: Ex-gov Lamido rejects Wike’s coalition, backs PDP candidates - Punch Newspapers

Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has declared his support for the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the 2027 general elections, distancing himself from the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election. Lamido, who said he is doing more for the PDP than Wike, also dismissed suggestions that he had endorsed Tinubu or agreed to work with the former Rivers State governor’s political arrangement ahead of the elections. The former Jigawa State governor stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday. He said he remained committed to the PDP and would vote for its candidates across all elective positions, including the presidency. “I am PDP through and through. I’m voting PDP from the councillorship, chairmanship, governorship, members of the National Assembly and the President. My candidate is Professor (Sandy) Onor. That’s my candidate for PDP. I’m voting my candidate,” he said. Asked whether he was going against Wike by rejecting the proposed alliance with Tinubu, Lamido said he had not been consulted about the arrangement.Make PUNCH part of your everyday experience.Add us to your Preferred Sources “My leader, what? He never called me, never invited me, never consulted me, so I have no idea what it is. Whatever he’s doing, it’s something he’s doing on his own name,” he said. The former governor said he had not met Wike since shortly after the PDP convention, adding that there had been no discussions between them about the 2027 elections. He also disputed the suggestion that Wike had done more than him to sustain the PDP, acknowledging the minister’s financial contributions to the party but arguing that his legal challenge to the party’s convention was more significant. “Let me be clear with you. I went to court to challenge the internal convention, and the internal convention was annulled based on my case in the court, not because of Wike. Oluremi Tinubu seeks APC unity ahead of 2027 polls 2027: Obi, Atiku handing victory to APC — Lamido 2027: Tompolo, Zamfara gov rally support for Tinubu’s re-election “Get that very, very clear. So in Nigeria, anybody who should be seen to be, you know, doing more for PDP is me, not Wike. Of course, Wike is doing the financing, I agree. But then, you know, the issues are legal,” he said. File Photo: FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike Lamido said his court action at the Supreme Court was instrumental in securing the annulment of the party’s Ibadan national convention, insisting that his actions should not be interpreted as support for Wike’s camp. The former governor’s comments come amid divisions within the PDP over Wike’s political activities and his support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Wike, who served as Rivers State governor from 2015 to 2023, has been promoting the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party political arrangement aimed at mobilising support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition. The minister has maintained that the arrangement does not prevent the PDP from fielding candidates for governorship and legislative elections, arguing that members of different political parties can support Tinubu for president while backing candidates of their preferred parties for other positions. The political disagreement has also revived tensions between Wike and other PDP stakeholders, some of whom have questioned his continued involvement in the opposition party while serving in Tinubu’s administration. Lamido, meanwhile, has been involved in the PDP’s leadership crisis through his legal challenge to the party’s November 2025 national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State. The former governor had approached the Federal High Court in Abuja after the party allegedly denied him the opportunity to obtain nomination forms to contest for its national chairmanship. The court ruled in his favour in November 2025, directing the party to allow him to participate before proceeding with the convention. However, the PDP went ahead with the exercise. The Court of Appeal subsequently affirmed the judgment in March 2026, before the Supreme Court, on April 30, 2026, nullified the Ibadan convention, deepening the party’s leadership crisis. Saheed Oyelakin Saheed is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over two years of experience covering metro, technology, sports, politics, and human-interest stories. He focuses on producing clear, engaging reports across diverse beats. Saheed’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate and balanced journalism.

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