The immediate past national vice
chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Lukman, has
alleged that some party leaders who were opposed to the presidential aspiration
of President Bola Tinubu are now being appointed into key positions in
government.
He particularly cited Imo State
Governor, Hope Uzodinma, who he alleged financed the attempt to adopt former
Senate president, Ahmed Lawan as APC consensus presidential candidate.
According to him, despite the
attempt, Uzodimma eventually became the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’
Forum (PGF) under Tinubu’s administration.
Lukman made this observation in a
lengthy statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, November 8, titled, ‘Agonising
Experience of Being APC Member; Message to APC leaders’.
Lamenting over the development,
Lukman noted that some party leaders who opposed Tinubu’s presidential ambition
are today appointees in the Federal Government.
He said: “When, for instance,
party leaders who were boisterously opposed to the Presidential ambition of
President Tinubu are today appointees in the federal government, and in the
case of Governors such as Sen. Hope Uzodinma, who financed the attempt to
manipulate the emergence of Sen. Ahmed Lawan as the consensus Presidential
candidate of APC, emerging as the Chairman of Progressive Governors beat the
imagination of every founding leader of APC, and in every respect
heartbreaking.
“Pushing for the entrenchment of
party supremacy, the former APC zonal leader strongly advised the ruling party
to avoid becoming a replica of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“APC emerged in 2013 with the
historical mission of changing Nigerian politics such that our parties are internally
democratic. Incontestably, both former President Buhari and current President
Tinubu gave us the needed leadership to inspire Nigerians into believing and
committing their votes to the APC.”
He warned that the APC should not
derail from the promised goals and objectives of reforming the country’s
democratic culture and values which endeared Nigerians to the party at its
inception 10 years ago.
Lukman, however, observed that
“Instead of reforming the APC to return it to its founding vision, we are
consolidating and emerging as a malfunctioned and despotic party organization,
which is increasingly becoming a replica of the PDP by every passing day.”
He added: “We can deceive
ourselves to imagine that we can continue to succeed in emerging victorious in
elections and successful leaders surround themselves with sycophants who only
tell them what they want to hear, it will not change the reality of betrayal
and it will not protect leaders.
“As loyal party members, we will
continue to campaign for the reform of APC and party politics generally in the
country.”
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