Immediate past National Vice Chairman, North West of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has dropped a hint of his resignation from the party.
Lukman, in a statement titled “APC and The Future of Nigerian Democracy – Letter to Selected APC Leaders,” expressed dissatisfaction over the economic policies of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, which he described as anti-people.
The APC chieftain alleged that top chieftains of the party who could give an honest assessment of the present administration are being frustrated from having access to President Tinubu.
He warned that the electorate, at the receiving end of the economic pains being inflicted on them by the present administration, could deny the APC and the incumbent President a fresh mandate in 2027.
“I find it extremely necessary to write to a few selected leaders of our party, the APC, and try to clarify my position regarding the situation both in the party and in the country.
First, it is a shared concern of most leaders of the party that the situation in the country has deteriorated in the last year since the assumption of office of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Unfortunately, all organs of the APC have been frozen, and there is hardly any functional channel of internal communication.
The leadership of the party under Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has hopelessly devalued the relationship between the party and President Asiwaju Tinubu.
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In fact, the reality is that we don’t have a party. All that exists now is a legal entity that has a poor relationship with party leaders and hardly any relationship with Nigerians.
“This is quite depressing. As it is, the sad reality is that President Asiwaju Tinubu is inaccessible to many party leaders. The policies of his government are clearly anti-people and completely contradictory to even his campaign document Renewed Hope.
Sadly, the way things are, there is a prevailing atmosphere of being intolerant to criticism. Even unlike under former President Muhammadu Buhari, party leaders are being treated in a manner that threatens anyone who could disagree with the President.
And from all indications, even high-ranking members of his cabinet have limited access to him. Consequently, here we are with a government that is supposedly ours but is treating us as recluses, if not enemies. We are anything but stakeholders.”
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum appealed to the political class to seek an alternative political platform.
He warned, however, that the forces that would form the new political party should be able to subordinate those who will hold political offices under it to its dictates.
He maintained that the lack of party supremacy was responsible for the failure of the Buhari administration and the dismal performance of the Tinubu administration.
“Although I pray that God Almighty will touch the heart of President Asiwaju Tinubu to make him recover whatever is left of his democratic credentials, I have lost hope that after one year of planless leadership, not much can be achieved during his tenure.
It, therefore, behooves all patriots, democrats, and progressives in the country to take up the responsibility of organizing and mobilizing Nigerians towards rescuing Nigerian democracy.
As it is, APC and the government of President Asiwaju Tinubu have been lost to the whirlwind. Just as we campaigned against military rule and the PDP, we must rise to the task of campaigning against the President Asiwaju whirlwind.
“However, given our experience with both former President Buhari and now President Asiwaju Tinubu, we must learn the appropriate lesson by ensuring that moving forward we must prioritize the development of a strong party organization, which can subordinate the President and all elected representatives under the control of the organs of the party.
The National Chairman must command the same respect and authority as the President. Under no circumstances must we reduce the campaign for political reform in the country to the Presidential ambition of anybody.
We must appeal to our political leaders to respect the larger interest of the country and stop holding the country back based on their narrow ambitions.
Given all this, it is possible to remain in APC if at all President Asiwaju Tinubu will allow internal reform in the party to return it to its founding vision, which as it is, is very remote.
But my reality now in the party is that my membership has been rendered useless and there is no need for me to continue to impose myself.
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I have therefore gone back to the trenches and will try to work with all committed Nigerians who agree and subscribe to the goal of actively campaigning for the survival and development of democracy in Nigeria.
We must grow our democracy to the point whereby elected representatives at all levels are accountable to the party and it is possible for Nigerians represented by various interests to develop a strong relationship with political parties and elected governments based on which policies of governments can be made to reflect wider interests of Nigerians.
I am confident that a strong democracy with functional political parties is possible in Nigeria. I am also confident that in our lifetime we can produce governments that are truly capable of making the lives of Nigerians better. I don’t expect party leaders will agree with my decision.
I believe that eventually, we will be united will all party leaders and other Nigerians who are committed to developing Nigerian democracy.
May God Almighty bless us with the needed wisdom to take the right initiative that will be beneficial to Nigerians. Amin!
