As the zoning controversy continues to cause a deep crack in the North, the governor of Jigawa State and a strong supporter of President Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has said that unless Northerners, who are against President Jonathan, see reason and allow him to continue in office, the corporate existence of Nigeria might be threatened.



He spoke on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Hausa service, monitored in Kaduna, on Saturday, even as Vice President Namadi Sambo, PDP governors and other PDP chieftains from the Northwest zone met in Kaduna to discuss current political developments that affect the zone.

According to Sule Lamido, those saying a Christian or Southerner should not become Nigeria’s president were uncivilized and had forgotten the past, noting that if that should be the case, Nigeria should split.

“The point is that they are using sentiments to destroy the North. What is politics all about? Following your opinion, but for someone to say one must abide by his opinion no matter how is wrong. People should be allowed to do what they want. If that is the case, we should divide the country so that we could have a section for Christians and another for Muslims,” he said.

He said though zoning was in the constitution of the PDP, the decision of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party superceded any other consideration.

He said the issue of zoning started before the death of late President Yar’Adua, adding that PDP was the only party, out of about 60 others in the country that had the clause in its constitution, saying it did not concern “those in the ANPP, CPC or ANC. But because of the circumstances we found ourselves, it has become a general issue. Now they are denouncing PDP, but the fact is that they cannot change anything.”

Commenting on the allegation that delegates were forced to vote for Jonathan, he said those saying delegates were forced were “those who in the previous years, used force in their various parties during elections.“ Look at what happened in Kano ANPP, there was this boy called Ibrahim Little. For many years, he was the only major figure in the ANPP, but in the end, they rejected him. Look at how Abacha’s son joined a party within two months and seized everything. What they are doing is what they think everybody is doing.

“Jonathan is not the governor of Abia, he is not the governor of Borno or Kastina, it is, therefore, wrong for anybody to listen to the sermons of a gossiper. It is similarly wrong for someone from another party to come and be saying all sorts of things against PDP and me. They are saying the party is against Islam, that Lamido does not like Muslims, he has gone astray by following non believers, okay, let’s see,”he said.

Explaining why some states did not wholly vote for Jonathan, he said, “Some were afraid, others were frightened. But for us, we have been in it for over 30 years. We were frightened, we were made to be afraid, they said we don’t like Islam, that we are anti North, any person who says his fellow man does not like Islam, look at him and watch his relationship with others. They are ignorant by saying someone has deviated from his faith. We are still in the North and we see them. What is it that they have not said? Forget about such people. The electorate should go and vote for their choice, it is election period and people know the right people to elect.”

On demonstrations in some Northern states against the ruling party, he said that “any member of PDP, wherever he might be, is known. The party has followers everywhere, in all the local governments in Nigeria and everywhere.

He said those demonstrating against the party were not PDP members, adding that there were some lazy politicians in the zone who knew they had lost and were ready to use any strategy to destabilise the zone and discredit the party. ”We know their antecedents, they cannot be trusted. They are Muslims but they don’t know what the religion demands.

They are those making allegation that the North has been marginalized. They are the people causing problem, inducing youths and unemployed people to foment trouble. Poverty is unlimited here. These burnings, humiliations and abuses will not wipe out poverty in the North. They should choose to live in peace so that we can work for their development,” he declared.

Lamido also said those who defected from the party were not true members of the PDP.

“ I heard what Ribadu, Buhari and Shekarau were saying, that they would provide good leadership devoid of ethnic or religious sentiment. Those who did not win election in PDP are now alleging foul play, perhaps the other time they won nobody heard them say anything. To them, PDP was the best at that time,” Lamido added.
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