By John Alechenu, ABUJA
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) are to serve as special guest of honour and chairman, respectively, at the public presentation of a book, ‘Being True To Myself,’ an autobiography written by ex-Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.

The event scheduled to take place in Abuja, next Tuesday, is expected to bring together the who’s who in Nigeria’s political evolution from the Second Republic till date.

The book is expected to shed light on political intrigues that culminated in the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party and the role played by the author in the formation and sustenance of the party which he has remained a member ever since.

This was revealed by the Chairman of the Sule Lamido Book Lunch Committee, Senator Mustapha Khabeeb, at a media briefing on Tuesday.

Khabeeb said, “The event shall unbundle actual political and other happenings in our great country from the tail end of the 2nd Republic, the military intervention, untold transition arrangements, to the beginning of the 4th Republic replete with all the drama, suspense, intrigues, backstabbing, treacherous machinations which add up to or led to where we are as a nation today.

“As a passive spectator, initially, and later an active and real participant in Nigeria’s political evolutionary process, Sule is being celebrated on Tuesday, 13th May 2025 as he publicly unveils his captivating autobiography.”

According to him, the book followed years of thoughtful introspection, making the long-awaited autobiography certain to make waves.

He further said, “It shall be a day when Alhaji Sule Lamido – a detribalised Nigerian – presents this compendium, which encapsulates his and the nation’s political, democratic as well as governance history, which gave birth to our current situation in terms of development and predicament.

“Sule Lamido’s autobiography, for which he gives the intriguing title: BEING TRUE TO MYSELF, takes the reader through a revealing story on the making of what he has become today – a versatile, au courant, urbane, cosmopolitan, knowledgeable, dynamic, highly principled and dedicated leader and public servant who has given his all towards the making of modern-day Nigeria.

“As an elder statesman now, Sule Lamido has done well to document this revealing and remarkable experience, which has taken him to the nooks and corners of our country and beyond. He revealed how this has enabled him to build an enormous clientele of friendship and association with people from all parts of the country and internationally.

“His calling initially in the private sector before joining the political fray revealed itself in his rich pattern of relationships.

“It is worthwhile for everyone to recognise that Sule Lamido’s character and disposition took root from his typically innocent Fulani nature of truthfulness, of seeing life with pure simplicity, devoid of flamboyance or pretence.

“But, it is also a disposition of not being given to condescending or patronising attitude from anyone, no matter their social standing. His is a character that has also been moulded and imbued with a sense of honour, sincerity and honesty, typical of a blue blood pedigree.

“Viewed from this antecedent, Sule can easily be excused for his bold, blunt truthfulness when it comes to speaking his mind on any given issue, to anybody, no matter how highly placed.

“President Olusegun Obasanjo discovered these attributes early in Sule and probably was one reason for the enormous confidence he had in him to make Sule Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister.

“Besides writing a foreword to BEING TRUE TO MYSELF, the former President is also the Special Guest of Honour at next Tuesday’s occasion.

“As many of us will probably recall, Sule Lamido belongs in the radical political calling and was, thus, a member of the Federal House of Representatives under the banner of the Peoples Redemption Party.

“After the collapse of the 2nd Republic, he continued the democratic crusade and was part and parcel of the unending Transition Program that saw many political heavyweights being banned from participation in politics.

“The topsy-turvy nature of the transitional arrangement resulted in the formation of the two government parties, the National Republican Convention and the Social Democratic Party, for which Sule Lamido became the National Secretary. This saw him having an amazing encounter with the then-President.

“That was the era which gave birth to June 12. Sule’s big imprint on June 12 will forever remain indelible.”