Politics

Lamido: Bola Ige Challenged Northern Leaders to Prove Opposition to Abacha

Written by Agboola Oluwafemi on May 22, 2025

News Views: 164

Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has recounted how the late Chief Bola Ige questioned the sincerity of northern politicians during the early formation of what later became the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), amid Nigeria’s resistance to General Sani Abacha’s military regime.

In his newly launched autobiography, Being True To Myself (Chapter 8, Page 148), Lamido revealed that during a crucial meeting of nine key political figures at No. 9 Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, Bola Ige openly expressed distrust toward the northern members of the group, challenging them to prove their genuine opposition to Abacha.

Present at the meeting were Alex Ekwueme, Bola Ige, Francis Ellah, Adamu Ciroma, Solomon Lar, Jerry Gana, Abubakar Rimi, Iyiochia Ayu, and Lamido. According to Lamido, Ige interrupted a conversation and said: “Rimi and Ciroma are my friends, but I don’t trust you northerners. Your history shows you move as a bloc with a hidden agenda. If you truly oppose Abacha, return to the North and mobilise your own movement. Only then will I believe in your sincerity.”

Lamido acknowledged the validity of Ige’s concerns, noting that Abacha was widely perceived as a symbol of northern political dominance. In response, the northern members took up Ige’s challenge.

Upon returning north, the group convened a meeting with like-minded individuals, including Dr Usman Bugaje and retired Colonel Dangiwa Umar. However, some invitees, such as Balarabe Musa and Chief Sunday Awoniyi, declined to participate due to fears of Abacha’s repressive regime.

Ultimately, only 18 individuals—later known as the G18—gathered at Adamu Ciroma’s residence. There, they drafted and signed a letter to General Abacha, expressing their objections to his political transition programme.

Lamido noted that this effort was a direct response to Bola Ige’s challenge and aimed to prove that the opposition was not regionally confined but nationally inclusive.

“The G18 was formed entirely of Northerners, but it marked the beginning of a broader national resistance,” Lamido wrote. “It paved the way for the formation of the G34, which united politicians across Nigeria and launched the formal opposition to Abacha’s self-succession bid.”