By John Alechenu

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Military Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Retd.) are set to headline the public presentation of Being True to Myself, an author-biography by former Jigawa State Governor Alhaji Sule Lamido. Obasanjo will serve as Special Guest of Honour, while Abdulsalami will chair the high-profile event, scheduled to take place next Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Abuja.

The much-anticipated book promises to unveil gripping political narratives spanning Nigeria’s Second Republic to the present, highlighting Lamido’s pivotal role in the formation and enduring relevance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of which he remains a staunch member.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, Chairman of the Sule Lamido Book Launch Committee, Senator Mustapha Khabeeb, described the autobiography as a compelling account of Nigeria’s political evolution, rich with “drama, suspense, intrigues, backstabbing, and treacherous machinations” that shaped the nation.

“The event will unbundle actual political happenings from the tail end of the Second Republic through military interventions and into the drama of the Fourth Republic,” Khabeeb noted.

“This is the story of Sule Lamido—initially a spectator, but ultimately a key player in the making of modern Nigeria.”

According to Khabeeb, the autobiography reflects years of introspection and is expected to make waves across the political and literary landscape. The book captures Lamido’s journey as a principled and outspoken leader, tracing his career from the private sector to the National Assembly and ultimately to the executive arm of government.

In his political life, Lamido is remembered as a committed democrat and a core member of the radical political movement, having served in the House of Representatives under the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). He later became National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the tumultuous transition period that birthed the June 12 crisis—a period in which Lamido’s contributions remain, in Khabeeb’s words, “indelible.”

The foreword to the book is written by President Obasanjo, who, recognizing Lamido’s boldness and truthfulness early on, appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs during his administration.

Khabeeb emphasized that Lamido’s autobiography is not just a personal story but a window into Nigeria’s governance challenges and democratic milestones. He hailed the former governor as a detribalized Nigerian whose honest disposition and principled stance often made him both revered and controversial.

The event is expected to draw a constellation of Nigeria’s political heavyweights, elder statesmen, and stakeholders from across the country, marking a defining moment in the nation’s political and literary discourse.