The Jigawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been thrown into fresh turbulence as senior party figures have risen in open defence of former Governor Sule Lamido, accusing the party’s national leadership of sidelining internal democracy and attempting to rewrite the party’s long-standing power structure.

In a jointly signed statement, former lawmakers Hon. Ali Idris Diginsa, Hon. Isa Zakari Bosuwa and others said recent actions taken at the national level show a disturbing pattern of “imposition, disregard for due process, and calculated exclusion” — moves they insist are threatening the soul of the PDP in Jigawa.

According to them, the party’s founding ethos is being steadily eroded, replaced by decisions that neither reflect collective consultation nor acknowledge the contributions of long-standing leaders who built the party from the ground up.

At the heart of their protest is Sule Lamido — one of the PDP’s most influential founding members — whom they describe as the “remaining backbone and moral compass” of the party.

They noted that despite intense political storms, especially the wave of defections during the Buhari era, Lamido never abandoned the PDP, standing firm even as many top figures crossed over to the ruling party.

His trajectory, from his progressive roots in the PRP to becoming PDP National Secretary, a two-term governor, and a national political stabiliser, they argued, makes him central to any conversation about the party’s future direction.

“It is unacceptable that a leader of Lamido’s calibre is being sidelined at a time the party needs its strongest voices,” the statement read. “We call on the new PDP leadership to accord him the respect he has earned and engage him meaningfully as we navigate this new political phase.”

The Jigawa elders reaffirmed their absolute loyalty to Lamido, declaring that “where he goes, we go,” a phrase that underscores the widening disconnect between them and the party’s upper echelon.

Political observers say the open confrontation may mark the beginning of a deeper reconfiguration within the PDP, especially in key northern states where Lamido still commands a loyal grassroots base.

As the PDP continues to search for stability and relevance ahead of future electoral contests, the Jigawa rebellion stands out as a strong reminder that old wounds and unresolved power tussles are far from healed.