Lamido Mustapha Sule

Sule Lamido (born 30 August 1948) is a Nigerian politician who served as the governor of Jigawa State from 2007 to 2015. He previously served as the foreign affairs minister of Nigeria from 1999 to 2003 and is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In 2015, Lamido and his two sons were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of misappropriating approximately ₦1.35 billion from the Jigawa State government during his tenure as governor. Lamido was born on 30 August 1948 in Bamaina, Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa State, Nigeria. He entered politics as a member of the left-of-center People's Redemption Party (PRP) in the Nigerian Second Republic, representing Birnin Kudu at the House of Representatives from 1979 to 1983.

During the Nigerian Third Republic, Lamido became National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party, where he faced criticism for his handling of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections won by Moshood Abiola, who was prevented from taking office. After the military ruler General Sani Abacha’s death in 1998, Lamido joined the PDP. He ran for Governor of Jigawa State in the 1999 elections but was defeated by Ibrahim Saminu Turaki. President Olusegun Obasanjo later appointed Lamido Foreign Minister in 1999, causing friction with his patron Abubakar Rimi, who was excluded from the vice-presidential slot.

In December 2003, disagreements over party committee appointments led to tensions between Lamido and Rimi. In October 2006, Lamido criticized Rimi, though he later acknowledged Rimi’s influence in Nigerian politics during a courtesy visit in 2007. In January 2001, Lamido praised Nigeria’s leadership of the Group of 77, and later described Britain’s commitment to Africa’s peace and progress during meetings with Tony Blair in 2001. He also launched efforts against human trafficking and corruption, including a UN speech in 2001 calling for global action against looted funds.

In 2003, Lamido criticized Governor Turaki’s mismanagement of Jigawa’s funds and accused the Federal government of neglecting the state. After the 2003 elections, he claimed the polls were rigged in favor of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). In 2007, despite the North West PDP rejecting him, he won the governorship election with Turaki’s support. His predecessor faced legal issues, and Lamido accused Turaki of intimidation. During his tenure, he invested heavily in education, infrastructure, and tourism, including free land plots for investors.

In 2011, Lamido successfully re-elected for a second term, polling 676,307 votes. In 2015, he and his sons were briefly jailed for alleged corruption. In 2017, Lamido declared interest in running for president in the 2019 elections, formally announcing his candidacy in 2018. Despite initial support, he finished sixth in the PDP presidential primary in 2018, receiving only 96 votes compared to Atiku Abubakar’s 1,532 votes.