Former APC Vice Chairman, Salihu Lukman Resigns From Party Over Bad Governance

Salihu Lukman, former vice-chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, has resigned from the ruling party.

Lukman resigned due to what he saw as poor governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

In a letter addressed to APC leaders titled “APC and The Future of Nigerian Democracy,” Lukman criticized the leadership’s lack of planning and claimed that not much progress could be expected during Tinubu’s tenure.

He argued that his membership in the APC had become meaningless because of the lack of internal democracy and the leadership’s resistance to reforms.

The former AOC vice chairman expressed his intention to work with Nigerians committed to campaigning for the survival and development of democracy.

He emphasized the need for elected representatives to be accountable to the party and for political parties to connect with various interests of the Nigerian people to ensure government policies reflect broader interests.

The statement reads, “As it is, APC and the government of President Asiwaju Tinubu have been lost to the whirlwind. Just like we campaigned against military rule and the PDP, we must rise to the task of campaigning against the President Asiwaju whirlwind.

“Given all this, it is possible to remain in APC if, at all, President 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,” the statement reads.

“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 strong relationships with political parties and elected governments based on which policies of governments can be made to reflect the 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.”

The Kaduna-born politician argued that the way things are, there is a prevailing atmosphere of intolerance to criticism in the government to the extent that even high-ranking members of President Tinubu’s cabinet have limited access to him.

Recalling how he made several unsuccessful attempts to reach President Tinubu, he said it is unfortunate that people who claim to be progressives have failed the litmus test of tolerance for criticism and wise counsel on the need to reform the APC.

He claimed that the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, was instructed that the money he spent running the North-West Zonal office between September 2022 and July 2023 should not be paid to him over his antagonistic stance on the running of the party.

He further claimed that even the N10 million Ganduje pledged during his book launch on the APC was not paid to him because of his critical position on the President Tinubu-led administration.

“I have survived the last one year on my personal savings, the goodwill of family members, friends, and a few party leaders. I am most grateful and will forever be indebted to them. The good thing is that I have been able to plan my life such that my expenses are very limited,” he added.

“My experience in life, having spent all my adult life without a biological father, is that all that is required to survive personal challenges is to remain positive and relate to everyone with the best of intentions.

“Which is why, notwithstanding the reality of being isolated by President Asiwaju Tinubu and those around him, I still wish him and his government every success.

“It is in our interest as Nigerians that he succeeds. I hope he will overcome the current adventurously unplanned reality he has imposed on the nation. So far, there is no plan, and no one can predict what the next action of the President will be.”

KanyiDaily recalls that Salihu Lukman previously claimed that President Bola Tinubu’s democratic background was key to winning the APC presidential primary.