A former Jigawa State Governor and PDP chieftain, Sule Lamido, has expressed willingness to support Peter Obi in the 2027 Presidential election if he emerges as the coalition’s standard bearer.
Lamido emphasized that leadership should be based on competence and vision, rather than geography.
“If the coalition produces Peter Obi or anyone else committed to rescuing Nigeria, I will support them,” Lamido said. “We should have outgrown tribal and regional sentiments. What has the North gained from producing the most presidents if the region remains underdeveloped?”
Lamido also questioned the relevance of zoning between the North and South, describing it as a temporary measure that has become an obstacle. “It was meant to be a healing mechanism, a temporary measure to restore trust. But now, it has become an albatross.”
Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) believes that the North may have no choice but to support Peter Obi due to his track record of keeping promises. MBF National President, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, stated that the North’s options are limited, and they may need to trust a southern candidate.
“A drowning person wouldn’t mind even holding onto a straw thinking that it will save him,” Pogu said. “So, in the situation which the North finds itself in, I do not think that their choices are many. Getting a Northerner to contest is a problem, and they must have to trust somebody that has a track record of consistency which Peter Obi seems to have.”
However, a former Minister of Information and Communication, Ibrahim Nakande, questioned the feasibility of Obi’s one-term promise. “For someone to say he will do only one term is political,” Nakande said. “Will the people from his zone agree with that? It depends on his proposed policies and programmes, and it is up to the greater Nigerian people to decide.”
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