Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has stepped back from his legal battle with the Peoples Democratic Party, pulling the lawsuit that had threatened to cast a shadow over preparations for the party’s National Convention.
According to westernmirror.com.ng reports, his decision came shortly after a private but decisive meeting with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in Abuja on Friday.
Lamido described the engagement as honest and reassuring, noting that Makinde approached the lingering dispute with the calm of someone genuinely invested in restoring peace.
He said the governor gave firm assurances that every major stakeholder would be carried along in the party’s decisions, regardless of the ruling earlier in the day from the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“For Lamido, inclusiveness was the real issue, and he left the meeting convinced that Makinde meant every word.
“He spoke warmly about the governor’s longstanding reputation for fairness and consensus building,” an insider privy to the meeting said, adding that his court action had never been meant to weaken the party.
“The goal, he said, was to insist on transparency and order. With a renewed understanding now in place, he explained there was simply no justification for the case to continue,” the source said.
By withdrawing the suit, Lamido has removed one of the last major obstacles that could have complicated the run up to the PDP National Convention.
He declared his full support for the event and said it now has the chance to proceed without legal distractions.
He also restated his commitment to the party’s unity, expressing hope that honest dialogue among leaders would leave the PDP stronger in the months ahead.
While Lamido has now stepped aside from the courtroom track, the Federal High Court in Abuja earlier on Friday declined his request for an interim order that would have halted the convention scheduled for 15 and 16 November in Ibadan.
His lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, had asked the court to grant the restraining order pending the determination of a motion on notice, but the request was refused.
Lamido, who governed Jigawa State from 2007 to 2015 under the PDP, now says the focus should shift fully to rebuilding trust and ensuring a successful national convention.
