By Usman Santuraki
Like it or leave it, Alhaji Sule Lamido, the former Governor of Jigawa State is a political enigma who cannot be throw away like water in a gutter. Sule lamido belongs to the leftist political leaning and started his political career in the 60’s with the defunct Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU) with the late Madam Aminu Kano as his mentor. In the second republic, he was with the defunct Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and even contested for the House of Representative on the platform of the party and he convincingly won. At the height of politicking in the Third Republic,
he was one of the pillars that saw to the formation of the People Democratic Party (PDP). He played a crucial role in actualizing the ascension of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo on
the throne in 1999. He was later appointed as the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thereafter, he vied for the office of governor of Jigawa State under the PDP and won the election.
During his stewardship for consecutive eight years as the governor of Jigawa State, he transformed the hitherto “Rural State” to a modern one and he is today being
called as the father of “Modern Jigawa State”.
He assiduously uplifted the state with his populist programmes that covered education, agriculture, roads and health care respectively. He restructured the civil service, rehabilitated the
educational sector, open up the state with the construction of access roads throughout the state and constructed the Dutse International Airport to boost trade and investment in the state.
Also, AlhajiSule Lamido constructed and equipped the hospitals in the state as
well as opened cottage hospitals across the state. He ran a transparent and accountable government where the emphasis was placed on how to deliver the dividend of democracy to the down-trodden. In fact, it is worth elucidating here that Sule Lamido was the brain behind the governors of the PDP to form what was later called the G5, which broke away to formed alliance with the APC. He left them, when he realised certain things that were not in tandem with his political orientation and therefore remained in the PDP until his eight years tenure lapsed.
Having a sound political pedigree and building a political bridge across the diverse regions in the country, he made it clear to the people, that his next political bus stop was the Presidency and that was the beginning of his problem as he was charged with corruption which culminated into the anti-graft agency investigating his tenure as governor of Jigawa State and was slammed with corrupt
charges.
Alhaji Sule Lamido, despite these charges of corruption remained unperturbed and while hosting the then Chairman of the PDP Alhaji Ali Modular Sherrif, to a rally in Dutse, he clearly made
it known to any one that cared to listen that in 2019, he would aspire for the presidency.
As a rallying point of radicalism in politics, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has large followership not only within
his own political party, but even in the other parties. He has a formidable structure in his quest for the highest office of the land coupled with the fact, that he is Hausa/Fulani and from the core north. No doubt, he may spring surprises and as such, the powers that be wants his wings need to be clip right now before the damage is done.
Usman Santuraki, a Public Affairs Analyst, wrote from 321 Santuraki Close, Jambutu
Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa State. He can be reached on 08032333546
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