Former Jigawa State governor Sule Lamido on Tuesday rejected Vice‑President Kashim Shettima’s claim that he and the state’s other former governors have joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Lamido made the remarks to journalists after Shettima’s statements at an APC presidential campaign rally in Dutse.
Lamido said he would consider switching to the APC before the 2027 general elections only if President Bola Tinubu’s administration succeeds in ending banditry, kidnapping, the Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges that afflict Nigeria’s northern region, thereby restoring peace and unity.
“I am not aware of what Vice‑President Kashim Shettima was saying. For God’s sake, I was not with the APC in 2014, so why would I be with it now in 2026?”
He described Shettima’s assertion as “false and unfounded,” suggesting it was an attempt to win political sympathy by linking the APC with prominent opposition figures. Lamido also challenged the ruling party to point to concrete achievements in Jigawa State and the North, arguing that the lack of visible progress has forced the APC to associate itself with well‑known northern politicians.
During the Dutse rally, Shettima declared that Jigawa State was “firmly behind the ruling party” and that all four former governors, including Lamido – a founding figure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – were now aligned with the APC. The claim generated widespread reaction on social media and prompted questions about Lamido’s political allegiance.
The APC has governed Nigeria since 2015, while the PDP remains the main opposition party. Persistent security problems such as banditry, kidnapping and Boko Haram attacks have become central issues in the north, shaping political discourse as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
