A former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has described President Bola Tinubu as a very daring and adept politician, who manipulated the country’s political system and became president despite stiff opposition.
Lamido, a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, disclosed this during an interview with the Nigerian Tribune.
According to the former Jigawa state governor, Tinubu “was adept at studying the Nigerian political system, manipulating it. He exploited it and he did it well.”
He said prior to the All Progressives Party, APC, convention, “he (Tinubu) was in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he boasted that it was his turn to rule Nigeria.
“And Buhari, very naive, was watching. He never liked Tinubu. There was somebody he wanted.
“He didn’t even trust his own vice president, Professor (Yemi) Osinbajo; he wanted Ahmed Lawan, but his calculation was absurd.
“You have done eight years for the North and you wanted another northerner for another eight years?! No. Maybe later, but there are some dynamics which you can’t alter, not in Nigeria of today.
“The president of Nigeria, after being in office for eight years, lacked the courage to push through his anointed choice. He was there at the convention and Tinubu that he never liked, he never believed, in emerged.
‘Tinubu owes Buhari nothing’
“Tinubu knows that his victory wasn’t from Buhari, therefore, he owes him nothing.
“He wasn’t the choice of Afenifere, Obasanjo never liked him, but he became president.
“All the other groups, including the governors, were there but he won. He was determined to demolish all obstacles and he crushed them.”
I’ve no godfather; I funded my election – Tinubu
Salient Times had reported that at a function President Tinubu was quoted as saying “I have no cabal. I have no sponsors. The money I spent on the elections was my personal fortune.
“At some point, the odds were against me; banks were locked. But Allah, the Almighty God, said I will be the President. Mine is to now follow the leading and teaching of the Almighty God.
“One of the most potent elements of defence is a good conscience. It is also a defence against corruption.”
Lamido upbeat on PDP’s chances in 2027
Meanwhile, the former Jigawa governor said the PDP is working towards winning the 2027 elections, despite the challenges facing the party.
“We are working hard, but it is a huge task. It is going to be difficult with Tinubu, with his hold on the country, on the economy, and his audacity to say this is where I stand against Nigeria’s interest.
“It is something else. Tinubu is very daring; he is his own creation, he is a self-made man; what he went through on the streets.
“Look at how he was able to fight the Alliance for Democracy and Afenifere and then Obasanjo.
“At the APC convention, Buhari was against him but he defeated Buhari.
“What are you talking about? Don’t underestimate a man like that. Look at how he made it in life. He confronted all obstacles to get to where he is today, at the apex.
“There is no Nigerian like Tinubu who has been there on his own. Every established political arrangement, every institution, he demolished them.
“Now that he is in charge, he is not going to be easy to deal with. With Tinubu, Nigeria is a fiefdom, Tinubu is the emperor. And if you watch him closely, he doesn’t care.”
