Former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has said his personal friendship with President Bola Tinubu will not influence his political stance ahead of the 2027 elections.

Lamido, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the statement during an interview with the BBC. He emphasized that while he maintains cordial ties with the President, he remains firmly committed to the opposition’s goal of rescuing Nigeria from the current administration.

According to him, every Nigerian has the right to aspire for the presidency, but political truth must always be told.

“We know each other very well, but we haven’t met in a while, and now he is the President of Nigeria. I told him, ‘You look nice.’ He also told me, ‘Sule, I love you because you are trustworthy.’ We laughed and left,” Lamido recounted of his recent meeting with Tinubu at the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna.

Lamido also downplayed speculations surrounding his closeness to both Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, stressing that his relationships with them date back many years and go beyond party politics.

He reaffirmed that the PDP is actively working to resolve its internal crisis and reposition itself for victory in future elections.

“Not just me – every Nigerian has a right to the President, and if he is seen to be wrong, there’s nothing wrong in telling him the truth. What we are doing is not for ourselves but for the people,” Lamido added.

The former governor insisted that his loyalty lies with the opposition and Nigeria’s progress, not personal friendships.