Sule Lamido
Encyclopedia
Sule Lamido served as Foreign minister of Nigeria
from 1999 to 2003.
He was elected governor of Jigawa State
in April 2007.
He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party
(PDP).
He ran successfully for reelection on 26 April 2011.
.
Lamido entered politics as a member of the left-of-center People's Redemption Party
(PRP) in the Nigerian Second Republic
.
He became National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party
during the Nigerian Third Republic
, where he received criticism for his handling of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by Moshood Abiola, who was prevented from taking office.
When the military ruler General Sani Abacha
announced his plan to return to democracy, Lamido was a founding member of the Social Progressive Party, and was National Secretary of the new party.
He was imprisoned in 1998 by Abacha for criticising Abacha’s plan to perpetuate himself in office.
After Abacha's unexpected death in June 1998, General Abdulsalami Abubakar
announced a revised transition strategy and new parties were formed to contest the 1999 elections. Lamido became a member of the PDP.
He ran for Governor of Jigawa State in the 1999 elections at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic
, but was narrowly defeated by the All People's Party (APP) candidate Ibrahim Saminu Turaki.
who had been turned down as Obasanjo's Vice-Presidential partner and was lobbying for the Foreign Minister job.
Tensions between Lamido and Rimi lingered on.
In December 2003 the two disagreed over the choice of chairman of a committee to investigate the zonal chairman of the party, with the argument degenerating into what one delegate described as "unseeming behavior".
In October 2006 Lamido described Rimi as "a contradiction of his political past".
However, during a courtesy visit to Rimi in December 2007 Lamido described him as a major factor that cannot be ignored in Nigerian politics.
In January 2001, Nigeria turned over the Chairmanship of Group of 77 to Iran. Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Lamido gave an enthusiastic account of G77 progress under Nigeria's leadership. Delegates from other countries agreed that much had been achieved.
After a September 2001 meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair
in London, Lamido told the BBC
that Britain was passionate over the numerous problems retarding Africa's its peace, progress and prosperity, described the meeting as "fantastic".
The same month, he inaugurated a committee to organize an international conference on human trafficking, child abuse, child labor and slavery. He noted that hundreds of trafficked Nigerians had died while trying to cross the Sahara and the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Speaking at the United Nations
in November 2001, Lamido described the corrosive impact of corruption on new democracies such as Nigeria, and called for "an international instrument" against transfer of looted funds abroad.
In January 2003 a nine-member Joint Committee of the House of Representatives visited Pakistan, apparently seeking to mediate in the dispute over Kashmir, without consulting the Foreign ministry. Lamido wrote to Sadiq Yar'Adua, the president of the Committee, pointing out the risk of such a trip without background knowledge of the delicate balance of alliances. Yar'Adua reacted angrily, saying "...nobody is here as an appendage of Sule Lamido's Ministry. We are not his boys; we are not bound by his whatever foreign policy strategy."
In March 2003, Lamido reacted to a claim by Governor Turaki of Jigawa State that the Federal government had neglected the state, calling on him to account for the way in which he had spent federal funding.
(ANPP).
In August 2006 it was reported that the North West zone of the PDP had rejected Lamido as a candidate for the 2007 governorship election.
However, in April 2007, Lamido contested and won the governorship election in Jigawa State
. He took office on 29 May 2007.
After the election, his predecessor Saminu Turaki
was jailed and was unable to raise bail. Turaki accused Lamido of intimidating Jigawa leaders to not stand as sureties.
In June 2007, Lamido accused new generation banks of helping state governors to loot their treasuries, and called for tighter regulations.
In July 2007 Lamido announced plans to spend N2 billion in the next six months on education, using the money to rebuild schools and provide basic teaching materials.
The state also invested N450 million naira for training teachers teaching core courses in junior secondary schools.
He initiated major construction programs, led by the Dutse Capital Development Authority and the Jigawa State Housing Authority.
In September 2009 Lamido offered to provide free plots of land and basic infrastructure to investors in the tourism and hospitality business in Jigawa State.
In December 2009 Lamido announced a plan by which beggars would be given a basic monthly payment to stay off the streets.
In December 2009 it was reported that Olusegun Obasanjo had started to lobby for Lamido to be the PDP's vice presidential candidate in the 2011 elections.
Lamido ran successfully for reelection on 26 April 2011.
He polled 676,307 votes, with runner-up Badaru Abubakar of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) scoring 343,177 votes.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from 1999 to 2003.
He was elected governor of Jigawa State
Jigawa State
-Location:Jigawa State is one of thirty-six states that constitute Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is situated in the north-western part of the country between latitudes 11.00oN to 13.00oN and longitudes 8.00oE to 10.15oE. Kano State and Katsina State border Jigawa to the west, Bauchi State to the...
in April 2007.
He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party
People's Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The People's Democratic Party is a political party in Nigeria. Its policies generally lie towards the right wing of the political spectrum. It has won every single Presidential elections since 1999, namely: 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011, and is the dominant party in the Fourth Republic.-History:In...
(PDP).
He ran successfully for reelection on 26 April 2011.
Early career
Lamido was born on 30 August 1948 in Bamaina, Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa StateJigawa State
-Location:Jigawa State is one of thirty-six states that constitute Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is situated in the north-western part of the country between latitudes 11.00oN to 13.00oN and longitudes 8.00oE to 10.15oE. Kano State and Katsina State border Jigawa to the west, Bauchi State to the...
.
Lamido entered politics as a member of the left-of-center People's Redemption Party
People's Redemption Party
The People's Redemption Party was a political party in Nigeria. Often considered the Second Republic incarnation of the Northern Elements Progressive Union, the party was created by the late Mallam Aminu Kano. The PRP was highly regarded as a progressive left of center political party. Some well...
(PRP) in the Nigerian Second Republic
Nigerian Second Republic
The Second Republic was the republican government of Nigeria between 1979 and 1983 governed by the second republican constitution.- Founding :...
.
He became National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Nigeria)
The Social Democratic Party of Nigeria, popularly known as SDP, was a political party created to encompass the ideals of a center left political organization. It was one of the products of a democracy project by former President Ibrahim Babangida to have two detribalized political parties, one a...
during the Nigerian Third Republic
Nigerian Third Republic
The Third Republic was the planned republican government of Nigeria in 1993 which was to be governed by the Third Republican constitution.- Founding :...
, where he received criticism for his handling of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by Moshood Abiola, who was prevented from taking office.
When the military ruler General Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
announced his plan to return to democracy, Lamido was a founding member of the Social Progressive Party, and was National Secretary of the new party.
He was imprisoned in 1998 by Abacha for criticising Abacha’s plan to perpetuate himself in office.
After Abacha's unexpected death in June 1998, General Abdulsalami Abubakar
Abdulsalami Abubakar
General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar is a Nigerian general who was President of Nigeria from June 9, 1998 until May 29, 1999. He succeeded Sani Abacha upon Abacha's death. It was during Abubakar's leadership that Nigeria adopted its new constitution on May 5, 1999, which provided for multiparty...
announced a revised transition strategy and new parties were formed to contest the 1999 elections. Lamido became a member of the PDP.
He ran for Governor of Jigawa State in the 1999 elections at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic
Nigerian Fourth Republic
The Fourth Republic is the republican government of Nigeria. Since 1999 it has governed the country according to the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Second Republic, which was in place between 1979 and 1983 and suffers many of the same problems, such as multiple...
, but was narrowly defeated by the All People's Party (APP) candidate Ibrahim Saminu Turaki.
Foreign minister
President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Lamido Foreign Minister in June 1999, causing friction with Lamido's patron Abubakar RimiAbubakar Rimi
Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi was a Nigerian politician, who was the governor of Kano State during the Nigerian Second Republic. He died following an attack by armed robbers.- Background :...
who had been turned down as Obasanjo's Vice-Presidential partner and was lobbying for the Foreign Minister job.
Tensions between Lamido and Rimi lingered on.
In December 2003 the two disagreed over the choice of chairman of a committee to investigate the zonal chairman of the party, with the argument degenerating into what one delegate described as "unseeming behavior".
In October 2006 Lamido described Rimi as "a contradiction of his political past".
However, during a courtesy visit to Rimi in December 2007 Lamido described him as a major factor that cannot be ignored in Nigerian politics.
In January 2001, Nigeria turned over the Chairmanship of Group of 77 to Iran. Speaking at the hand-over ceremony, Lamido gave an enthusiastic account of G77 progress under Nigeria's leadership. Delegates from other countries agreed that much had been achieved.
After a September 2001 meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in London, Lamido told the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
that Britain was passionate over the numerous problems retarding Africa's its peace, progress and prosperity, described the meeting as "fantastic".
The same month, he inaugurated a committee to organize an international conference on human trafficking, child abuse, child labor and slavery. He noted that hundreds of trafficked Nigerians had died while trying to cross the Sahara and the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Speaking at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in November 2001, Lamido described the corrosive impact of corruption on new democracies such as Nigeria, and called for "an international instrument" against transfer of looted funds abroad.
In January 2003 a nine-member Joint Committee of the House of Representatives visited Pakistan, apparently seeking to mediate in the dispute over Kashmir, without consulting the Foreign ministry. Lamido wrote to Sadiq Yar'Adua, the president of the Committee, pointing out the risk of such a trip without background knowledge of the delicate balance of alliances. Yar'Adua reacted angrily, saying "...nobody is here as an appendage of Sule Lamido's Ministry. We are not his boys; we are not bound by his whatever foreign policy strategy."
In March 2003, Lamido reacted to a claim by Governor Turaki of Jigawa State that the Federal government had neglected the state, calling on him to account for the way in which he had spent federal funding.
Later career
In May 2003, after the PDP had again lost the elections in Jigawa State, Lamido claimed that the polls had been rigged in favor of the All Nigeria People's PartyAll Nigeria People's Party
The All Nigeria Peoples Party is a conservative political party in Nigeria. At the last legislative elections , the party won 27.0% of the popular vote and 92 out of 360 seats in the House of Representatives and 27 out of 109 seats in the Senate...
(ANPP).
In August 2006 it was reported that the North West zone of the PDP had rejected Lamido as a candidate for the 2007 governorship election.
However, in April 2007, Lamido contested and won the governorship election in Jigawa State
Jigawa State
-Location:Jigawa State is one of thirty-six states that constitute Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is situated in the north-western part of the country between latitudes 11.00oN to 13.00oN and longitudes 8.00oE to 10.15oE. Kano State and Katsina State border Jigawa to the west, Bauchi State to the...
. He took office on 29 May 2007.
After the election, his predecessor Saminu Turaki
Saminu Turaki
Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki is a Nigerian politician and former governor of Jigawa State in Nigeria. He was a Jigawa state chairman of SDP and UNCP .-Background:...
was jailed and was unable to raise bail. Turaki accused Lamido of intimidating Jigawa leaders to not stand as sureties.
In June 2007, Lamido accused new generation banks of helping state governors to loot their treasuries, and called for tighter regulations.
In July 2007 Lamido announced plans to spend N2 billion in the next six months on education, using the money to rebuild schools and provide basic teaching materials.
The state also invested N450 million naira for training teachers teaching core courses in junior secondary schools.
He initiated major construction programs, led by the Dutse Capital Development Authority and the Jigawa State Housing Authority.
In September 2009 Lamido offered to provide free plots of land and basic infrastructure to investors in the tourism and hospitality business in Jigawa State.
In December 2009 Lamido announced a plan by which beggars would be given a basic monthly payment to stay off the streets.
In December 2009 it was reported that Olusegun Obasanjo had started to lobby for Lamido to be the PDP's vice presidential candidate in the 2011 elections.
Lamido ran successfully for reelection on 26 April 2011.
He polled 676,307 votes, with runner-up Badaru Abubakar of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) scoring 343,177 votes.