A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Bode George, has said that former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, is constitutionally and morally entitled to vie for the position of National Chairman of the party.
George made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday while reacting to Lamido’s recent outburst over being allegedly denied the opportunity to obtain the nomination form for the chairmanship race.
According to him, every member of the PDP who meets the necessary requirements should be allowed to contest without hindrance.
“The fact that PDP leaders converged and supported an individual for consensus candidate does not mean that others will not compete,” George said.
He explained that internal democracy remains one of the key pillars of the PDP and should not be compromised under any guise.
“You want to make the process seamless. It’s an internal dynamic. We have done this in the past, and the party did not tell anybody that he or she cannot contest,” he noted.
George maintained that Lamido has every legitimate right to participate in the contest, urging the party to ensure a transparent and inclusive process.
“Sule Lamido has the right to compete. He can go and get the form, fill the form, and follow the normal process and appear on the day of the convention. We will vote,” he added.
Lamido, a founding member of the PDP, had earlier threatened legal action against the party over what he described as an attempt to exclude him from the race. His grievance followed reports that the party leadership had adopted a consensus candidate ahead of the convention.
