Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has dismissed claims by Vice-President Kashim Shettima that he and other prominent former governors in the state are now supporting the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Lamido said he would consider joining the APC before the 2027 general elections if President Bola Tinubu's administration succeeds in ending banditry, kidnapping and other security challenges in the North and restores peace and unity to the region.
He made the remarks while speaking with journalists on Tuesday in reaction to Shettima's declaration at the APC presidential campaign rally in Dutse.
The former governor described the Vice-President's claim as false and unfounded, alleging that it was an attempt to gain political sympathy from the people of Jigawa State by associating the APC with prominent opposition figures.
“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?” Lamido queried.
He challenged the ruling party to point to its achievements in Jigawa State and the North, arguing that its inability to demonstrate significant accomplishments had forced it to associate itself with prominent Northern politicians.
Lamido further declared that he was ready to join the APC if the Tinubu administration could end kidnapping, Boko Haram insurgency, banditry and other security threats affecting the North.
“I swear to God, if they end kidnapping, Boko Haram, banditry and all the evils in the North, I will definitely join the APC because whatever we are doing, we are doing it for our people,” he said.
He also made a remark about Shettima's Kanuri background before describing the claim as “kattuwunum”, a Kanuri expression he translated as a lie or falsehood.
DAILY POST reports that Shettima had, during Tuesday's APC presidential campaign rally in Dutse, declared that Jigawa State was firmly behind the ruling party, claiming that all four former governors of the state, including Lamido, one of the founding figures of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were now associated with the APC.
The Vice-President's statement generated reactions across the country and on social media, with some questioning the claim about Lamido's political allegiance.
2027: I’ll join APC if Tinubu ends banditry, kidnapping – Sule Lamido replies Shettima