- Nigeria needs national leader like Tambuwal, says Lamido
Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal Tuesday met with former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido in his Bamaina country home in Birnin Kudu local government area of Jigawa state in the governor’s first leg of nationwide consultations on his presidential bid.
Stakeholders of the Sokoto State PDP had on Monday endorsed Tambuwal for President and called on him to begin consultations across the country.
Speaking while receiving Tambuwal and his entourage at his residence, former Governor Lamido appealed to political stakeholders across the country to avoid the issue of zoning as a criterion for leadership selection in 2023.
Instead, he opined that Nigerians with proven track record of trustworthiness who also have national outlook like Gov. Tambuwal should be encouraged to pick up the challenge of running for the position of President of the country.
The PDP chieftain, who was also minister of foreign affairs during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government, expressed concern that all previous efforts made to stabilize the country had been bastardized in recent times by the worrisome upsurge of ethnicity and religious schisms.
According to him, these trends need to be reversed, pointing out that what is needed is competent leaders with sterling qualities such as Tambuwal.
“Our son here, is like me. We have similar and parallel positions in government. I have even held more sensitive positions than him,” he said jocularly, emphasizing that he is “looking forward to having” the Governor as a worthy successor, who is eminently qualified to run for the highest office in the land should he choose to do so.”
He added that he was ready to support Gov. Tambuwal if he seeks PDP’s ticket to be its flag bearer provided he will be a “pan Nigerian that will be just.”
“We can reach out to all Nigerians across the geographic and other divides in our bid to support him.
“This does not suggest that we are beggars hungry for power. Instead, we are worthy stakeholders with friends in many parts of the country who we can persuade to see reason with us in the realization of the Nigerian Project,” Lamido stated.
In his remarks, former Governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, who expressed gratitude to Lamido for the warm reception accorded them, said the visit was not political but consultative.
“You are not just a former governor but a great political mobilizer whose people still respect and follow despite the fact that you have been out of office for almost seven years now.
Gov. Tambuwal was accompanied during the visit by the Deputy Governor of Zamfara state, Barrister Mahdi Aliyu Gusau, former Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, former Minister of Power, Engr Bello Suleiman, and former chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bello Muhammad.
Others in Gov. Tambuwal’s entourage are: former Director Counterterrorism in the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Gen Sarkin-Yaki Bello and Hon. Aminu Musa Koko.
Tambuwal and his entourage were welcomed at Dutse International Airport by a large and joyous crowd led by Mustapha Sule Lamido, son of their host. The Governor’s motorcade rode at a snail speed for about two hours in a journey that should take less than thirty minutes to Bamaina, Lamido’s town.
