A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Bode George, has cautioned former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, against taking legal action against the party following his failed attempt to obtain the nomination form for the National Chairmanship position.
George, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, maintained that while Lamido has every right to contest, dragging the party to court without exhausting its internal conflict resolution mechanisms would amount to a breach of party discipline.
According to him, “You want to make the process seamless and non-combative. We’ve done this before, but the party has never told anyone they cannot contest. Governor Sule Lamido has the right to compete. He can get the form, fill it, and appear on the convention day. We will vote. That is the practice in our party.”
Lamido had earlier expressed frustration after reportedly being unable to purchase the nomination form at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, where the official in charge was said to be unavailable. He subsequently threatened to sue the party over what he described as an attempt to frustrate his ambition.
Reacting, George cautioned that such a move could attract punitive action from the PDP leadership, stressing that internal mechanisms must first be explored.
“This party is not owned by any individual. Before taking the party to court, you must exhaust the internal dynamics of the party. If you fail to do that, you can be punished,” he said.
He added, “So, he is exercising his rights. But if he goes to court for this, he can be punished. Let him go, nobody will deny him any form, and he can compete. The final decision will be by delegates attending the convention, and it will be done openly.”
