Gladness Gideon
Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has shed new light on a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey, revealing how a challenge from the late Chief Bola Ige spurred northern political leaders to form a united front against General Sani Abacha’s military regime.
Lamido made the revelation in his newly released autobiography, Being True To Myself, unveiled on May 13, in which he detailed the early days of what would later evolve into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In Chapter Eight of the book, Lamido recounted a tense meeting held at No. 9 Raymond Njoku Street in Ikoyi, Lagos, where nine political heavyweights—collectively known as the G9—gathered after their political parties were denied registration by the Abacha government.
Present at the meeting were former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, Chief Bola Ige, Senator Francis Ellah, former CBN Governor Adamu Ciroma, former Governors Solomon Lar and Abubakar Rimi, Professor Jerry Gana, ex-Senate President Iyiochia Ayu, and Lamido himself.
During the meeting, Lamido said Bola Ige confronted the northern members of the group, challenging their sincerity in opposing Abacha.
“I don’t trust you,” Ige reportedly declared, urging the northern politicians to return to their region and form a distinct group that would stand against the military government.
READ ALSO: Ladoja Knows More About Bola Ige’s Murder — Akande
Lamido admitted that Ige’s skepticism was justified, acknowledging that Abacha was widely seen as a northern symbol of power. Accepting the challenge, the northern politicians reconvened in the North, holding a landmark meeting at the home of Adamu Ciroma.
Lamido recounted that only 18 individuals, now known as the G18, attended, including respected figures like Dr. Usman Bugaje and Col. Dangiwa Umar (rtd.). Notably, Balarabe Musa and Chief Sunday Awoniyi declined to join, while others stayed away for fear of reprisal from the Abacha regime.
The G18 subsequently drafted and signed a formal petition addressed to Abacha, expressing their opposition to his political transition programme. This move, Lamido revealed, was a direct response to Ige’s call for demonstrable commitment to democratic ideals.
“The G18 was almost entirely made up of Northerners,” Lamido wrote, adding that their action laid the groundwork for the broader G34 coalition—an inclusive national movement that would ultimately lead to the formation of the PDP and derail Abacha’s self-succession bid.
Lamido’s memoir offers a rare insider perspective into the political undercurrents of the 1990s and the evolution of one of Nigeria’s most influential political parties, underlining the pivotal role that interregional dialogue and bold leadership played in the nation’s return to civilian rule.