Bola Ige Dared The North: Prove Your Loyalty, Fight Abacha – Lamido Reveals Explosive Encounter

The G9, consisting of nine influential politicians, later laid the foundation for what became the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In his recently released autobiography “Being True to Myself,” launched on May 13, Lamido recounted how the group — which included ex-Vice President Alex Ekwueme, former Oyo State Governor Bola Ige, Senator Francis Ellah, ex-CBN Governor Adamu Ciroma, former Plateau Governor Solomon Lar, Jerry Gana, former Kano Governor Abubakar Rimi, ex-Senate President Iyiochia Ayu, and Lamido himself — gathered at No. 9 Raymond Njoku Street in Ikoyi, Lagos, after their political parties were denied registration by the Abacha regime.

According to Lamido, during the meeting, Bola Ige interrupted Jerry Gana and delivered a blunt message:

“Look, Sule,” Ige said, “before we go further with this G9, let me be clear. Rimi is my friend and colleague. I know Adamu Ciroma and many others from the North well. But from past events, the North always seems to act as a single block — with a hidden agenda.

“That’s why I don’t trust you. You’re trying to use this platform to build a moral force for national appeal, but you might have another plan behind it.

“If you really want to prove your sincerity, go back to the North and form a new group that openly challenges Abacha’s military rule. Only then will I believe in your intentions.”

Lamido recalled responding to Ige’s confrontation by saying, “We agree; you are right.”

He added that, whether accepted or not, many across Nigeria viewed Abacha as a symbolic representation of Northern Nigeria — a perception that influenced trust and political alliances at the time.