…Endorsements based on President’s performance, Says Kalu
By Orkula Shaagee
As the tempo of political activities in the country notches higher ahead of the 2027 general elections, key gladiators continue to assess the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration through partisan prisms.
Yesterday, former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, aimed a jab at President Bola Tinubu, stating that opposition parties, mainly the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, are being muzzled, and that as a result, President Tinubu may soon emerge as an emperor.
Lamido told the media that PDP is an integral part of Nigeria’s democratic history and that the continued existence of the party is tied to the country’s survival.
Should PDP crumble under the present administration, he said, “Nigeria would breed an emperor as president.”
He specifically accused Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister, Nyesom Wike, of orchestrating warfare against PDP on behalf of the federal government.
“Here is someone who was honoured by the PDP, brought into relevance by the PDP, and now turns around to fight the very party that made him. I don’t understand how someone, simply because of his own ambition, can take things so personally and act so destructively.
“There used to be a party culture that prioritized collective good — something altruistic — but that seems lost now. To seal the PDP secretariat — a party that produced you, nurtured you — no matter your grievances, no matter your bitterness, it’s like destroying your own home, “ he said, while commending President Tinubu for his intervention.
The septuagenarian politician said, “If the PDP collapses, Nigeria will collapse. Where there is no opposition, then there will be an emperor. When the party collapses, then you have an emperor all over Nigeria, and all emperors are destroyed by their greed for power.
The PDP is Nigeria’s history in the last 25 years; therefore, look at the bigger picture. If the party collapses, it is Nigeria’s history which collapses.”
Lamido pointed out that if the PDP hadn’t restored Nigeria’s democracy in 1999, there was no way ex-military head of state Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would have come to power in May 2015.
He stated that without the PDP laying the foundation for Nigeria’s democracy in the Fourth Republic, the incumbent President, Tinubu , wouldn’t have taken over from Buhari in May 2023.
The former governor said Tinubu needs the PDP as an opposition party to keep him in check.
“More than anybody, Tinubu needs PDP to be chasing him, to be on his toes, but when it collapses, nobody will be chasing him; he will be chasing himself,” he said, maintaining, however, that he won’t leave the PDP despite the many crises rocking the party.
But speaking in Abuja yesterday, Senator Orji Kalu, former Abia governor, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the South-East Development Commission, dismissed suggestions that the growing endorsements for President Tinubu for the 2027 elections stem from concerns over opposition alliances.
Addressing Senate correspondents before plenary yesterday, Kalu maintained that the wave of support for the President is a direct result of his performance and policy direction, not because of political anxiety.
“The APC is not afraid of any opposition coalition. We are the ruling party and we love Nigeria. That is why many of us are investing in industries across the country to create jobs beyond government efforts,” he said.
The former Senate Chief Whip said that criticism from the opposition is expected in a democratic setting, but should not be mistaken for weakness on the part of the ruling party.
“The opposition must fight, that’s their job. But our job is to deliver, and we’re doing it. In the coming years, Nigerians will appreciate what Mr. President is doing,” Kalu said.
Kalu also spoke about the Southeast’s support for Tinubu, revealing that the region’s endorsement preceded many others and that the initiative was spearheaded by Southeast leaders including governors and federal lawmakers.
He commended Tinubu’s bold decisions such as fuel subsidy removal and the unification of the naira’s exchange rate. While acknowledging the challenges these reforms have brought, he insisted they were necessary for long-term economic stability.