Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has criticised former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Ali Pantami over his past description of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as an “infidel party”, while reaffirming his long-standing loyalty to the opposition party.

Lamido made the remarks while receiving PDP governorship candidates from Gombe, Bauchi, Kano, Yobe and Jigawa states at his residence in Bamaina, Jigawa State, on Saturday.

Reflecting on the PDP’s years in power, Lamido said the party was repeatedly criticised by political opponents and some Islamic preachers.

“The PDP was labelled corrupt, and some even described it as an ‘infidel party.’ Despite all that, I remained in the party because it gave me the opportunity to serve Nigeria as Minister of Foreign Affairs and twice as Governor of Jigawa State,” he said.

The former governor disclosed that after the 2015 general elections, senior figures in the All Progressives Congress (APC), including former President Muhammadu Buhari, President Bola Tinubu and former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, visited him in Dutse to persuade him to join the ruling party.

“I told them I could not abandon the party that made me who I am. Instead, I challenged them to come and join the PDP,” Lamido stated.

He also recalled that Pantami, while serving as Chief Imam of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Jumu’ah Mosque, allegedly delivered sermons in which he prayed against the PDP and referred to it as an “infidel party.”

According to Lamido, Pantami later joined the PDP after failing to secure the APC governorship ticket in Gombe State, a move that generated widespread public debate.

Pantami has not publicly responded to Lamido’s latest comments.

The exchange comes as political realignments and defections gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Former Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba (retd.), has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abba announced his defection on Saturday during a courtesy visit to elder statesman and founding PDP member, Sule Lamido, at his hometown of Bamaina in Jigawa State.

The former police chief said his decision was driven by his desire to continue serving his people, following growing calls from his constituents to contest the Jigawa South-West Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections.

According to him, his previous attempt to secure the APC senatorial ticket was unsuccessful despite meeting all the screening requirements.

“You are aware that I aspired to become a senator under the APC, but unfortunately, I was not even allowed to participate in the primary election after successfully passing the screening process. My motivation has always been to serve my community, and with the experience, education, and good health that God has blessed me with, I have decided to join the PDP, where my contributions will be appreciated,” Abba said.

Speaking during the event, Sule Lamido described Abba’s defection as a significant gain for the PDP as preparations for the 2027 elections gathered momentum.

“This is a major catch for the PDP. A personality with Abba’s credentials brings credibility, experience, and wider acceptance to our party,” Lamido stated.

He also expressed optimism that more politicians would join the PDP, pointing to the presence of the party’s governorship candidates from Kano, Yobe, Bauchi, Gombe and Jigawa states at the gathering as evidence of growing political alignment across the region.

Similarly, the Jigawa State Chairman of the PDP, Babandi Gumel, said the party had commenced efforts to integrate Abba and his supporters into its structures across the state.

“With the entry of IGP Abba and his numerous supporters, the PDP is becoming stronger, particularly in Jigawa South-West,” Gumel said.

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta 

The National Vice Chairman, (South West) of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi, has issued a pre-action demand letter to the refers to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, demanding a public retraction, apology and ₦50 billion in compensation over an alleged defamatory statement made during a podcast interview.

The demand, was contained in a letter dated July 3, 2026, and issued by Neplus Ultra Attorneys and signed by Anderson U. Asemota, Peter O. Asimegbe and Stanley C. Eziefulle on behalf of Arabambi.

According to the letter, the legal action stems from comments allegedly made by Obi during an interview, where he was said to have stated that Arabambi “does not have an address.”

Arabambi’s legal team argued that the statement was false, malicious and defamatory, contending that it portrayed their client as a faceless individual, lacking legitimacy, credibility and standing in public life.

The lawyers maintained that the interview was subsequently circulated across television stations and multiple digital platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp, thereby exposing their client to widespread public ridicule.

The letter reads, “Our Client has had a known residential and business address, maintains professional and political affiliations within Nigeria and has never been a person whose whereabouts or identity were unknown”.

It further argued that the publication damaged Arabambi’s reputation and subjected him to embarrassment and public ridicule.

“The ordinary and natural meaning which reasonable viewers attached to your publication was that our client is a faceless and unidentifiable person, has no known place of residence, lacks any legitimate standing in public life and is undeserving of public confidence,” the lawyers wrote.

The legal team also claimed that reactions generated on social media following the interview demonstrated that viewers understood the alleged remark as an attack on Arabambi’s identity and public credibility.

According to the solicitors, Obi, as a prominent political figure and NDC presidential candidate, ought to have exercised greater caution before making statements capable of damaging another person’s reputation.

The letter alleged that the circumstances surrounding the publication disclosed both express and implied malice, insisting that the statement was made with full appreciation of the audience it would reach.

“Our client has suffered considerable embarrassment, humiliation and injury to his reputation. The defamatory publication has impaired his standing in political and social circles and subjected him to needless attacks upon his integrity and personality,” the letter added.

As part of its demands, Arabambi’s legal team requested that Obi, within seven days of receiving the letter, issue “a clear, unequivocal and unconditional retraction” of the alleged defamatory statement on the same podcast or another platform of comparable reach.

The lawyers also demanded an “unreserved public apology” to be broadcast on national television and published on Obi’s verified social media platforms, as well as full-page apologies in Vanguard, The Punch, The Guardian, THISDAY and The Nation newspapers.

In addition, Arabambi is demanding the payment of ₦50 billion, as compensation for what he described as injury to his reputation, dignity, political standing and public image.

The letter further requested a written undertaking from Obi to refrain from making any further allegedly defamatory statements against Arabambi and directed him to preserve all materials relating to the podcast interview, including video recordings, transcripts, correspondence, electronic communications and digital metadata, warning that any destruction or alteration of evidence could be relied upon in future court proceedings.

The solicitors warned that failure to comply with the demands within seven days would leave their client with no option but to institute legal proceedings seeking declarations that the publication was defamatory, general, aggravated and exemplary damages, a perpetual injunction restraining further publication of similar statements, an order compelling a public retraction and apology, interest on monetary awards and the cost of the suit.

“Our Client would have preferred that this unfortunate episode be resolved without recourse to litigation. However, the protection of one’s reputation is a right recognised by law and cannot be surrendered in the face of a false and damaging publication,” the lawyers stated.