Nigerians may kick out APC in 2027, says party leader
A former Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (North-West), Salihu Lukman, acknowledged on Wednesday that Nigerians are currently confronting more challenges, and he expressed concern that if the current situation persists, the party could face expulsion from government in 2027.
Lukman made these remarks during a press conference in Abuja held in anticipation of the public launch of his upcoming book, ‘APC and transition politics,’ scheduled for Tuesday, December 19.
During the press conference, the APC leader highlighted the need for honesty and voiced his apprehensions about the responsiveness of the current democracy.
Lukman conveyed his worry that leaders within the party seem overly comfortable believing they can act without consequences.
He emphasized the urgency of addressing the escalating situation under the banner of a party that was originally envisioned to be progressive, urging leaders to recognize that things are rapidly spiraling out of control.
“We may soon witness internal rebellion within our ranks, and unless precautions are taken by 2027, there is a real risk of being ousted from office, effectively regressing Nigeria to the state it was in 2015.
I believe it is our duty to honestly communicate this to our leader, President Asiwaju.
Based on my assessment, and without any hesitation, it is clear that we have not achieved significant progress. It is imperative that we initiate open and honest conversations with our leaders, preventing them from reverting to old habits of denial simply because we secured victory in the election.”
“It is evident and widely known that Nigerians are confronting increased challenges, with life becoming more challenging for them.
I consistently emphasize our fortunate circumstance of having President Asiwaju as an aspirant. Without someone of his stature, I doubt we would have successfully resisted attempts to impose a candidate.” Lukman characterized his resignation from the party’s National Working Committee as a painful choice.
In explaining his departure, the APC leader acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and dispelled the notion that he was coerced out of the system shortly before the rise of the current national Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
He continued, stating, “When I chose to step down from the NWC, it was an exceedingly painful decision, I must admit.
It wasn’t something I took pleasure in; it was a challenging choice to make. However, once the decision was made, I committed to documenting our experiences during the struggle under the transition that brought President Asiwaju Tinubu.
I was well aware that some individuals were contending within the party leadership that I had rebelled against President Asiwaju’s leadership.
Contrary to that notion, I want to clarify that I did not rebel against President Asiwaju’s leadership. As an individual, my perspective was that we owe the president the responsibility of conveying the truth, regardless of the circumstances. That is precisely what I endeavored to do.”