Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has urged Nigerians to sack the All Progressives Congress (APC) from power in the 2019 general election.
Lamido, who is eyeing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the presidential ticket, said Nigerians made a “grievous mistake” by voting President Muhammadu Buhari into power in 2015.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs said Nigerians now look up to PDP for salvation in 2019 as APC has failed to manage various crises on its hand including the herdsmen attacks in some parts of the country.
He said Nigeria has never witnessed hatred and bloodletting across ethnic and religious divides since independence as being witnessed under the APC regime.
Lamido spoke on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where he held talks with Governor Ayo Fayose on his presidential ambition.
He commended Fayose for being outspoken against the alleged failure and excesses of the APC government, saying the 2019 polls offer the PDP an opportunity to regain power at the centre.
Lamido said: “We can defeat them easily if we all share the same thought and pains as Nigerians are feeling now.
“You (Fayose) are a man of courage and a man of character who is able to stand up for the people despite intimidation. I respect you, I admire you and like you a lot.
“I have come to discuss with you about our party and look at Nigeria in 2019. APC is stealing under the cover of anti -corruption fight. In Nigeria, the only hope in 2019 is PDP, because APC is a contraption.
“In PDP, we were in power for 16 years, somehow we lost out, we should ask the question, where was Nigeria before PDP?
“The vision of our founding fathers, like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Aminu Kano , Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa had been that there should be a Nigeria populated by human beings first not tribes, regions or zones.
“They (APC) are exploiting our differences, manipulate our emotions and divided us and gradually turning us into a country where we hate one another.
“Fulani, Tiv and Hausa are now killing each other, blood flowing all over Nigeria. God is angry with us in Nigeria.
“What do we do? The party in power has no political history and only came to divide us, impose culture of hate. Intimidation and blackmail had become the order of the day.”
Responding, Fayose described Lamido as eminently qualified to be president of Nigeria, saying he remains one of the few detribalized Fulani leaders with capacity and exposure to deliver.
The governor advised Nigerians not to vote for any retired military man as president, saying the current experience was enough to teach a strong lesson that only a democrat can deliver.
He said: “The military bastardised the system. They destroyed this country and this is why Nigerians should stop voting military men, they are not politicians.
“Some people say APC will rig election but I tell them, God rules in the affairs of man. Power belongs only to God almighty.
“Whether you call it presidential or vice presidential aspiration, all I know that you will come to visit me in Aso Rock in 2019.”
