Abuja, Nigeria – Salihu Lukman, a former national vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for North-West, has candidly acknowledged the challenging times faced by Nigerians, expressing concern that the prevailing hardships may lead to rebellion and result in the party losing office in the 2027 elections. Lukman made these remarks during a press conference in Abuja, preceding the public presentation of his upcoming book, ‘APC and Transition Politics,’ scheduled for next Tuesday.
The APC Chieftain voiced his worry about the apparent complacency of the party and other national leaders who seem to believe they can act without consequences. Lukman emphasized the need for honesty and urged leaders to recognize that the current state of democracy is not sufficiently responsive.
He stated, “I think we must be honest, and this is the point I say to our leaders, without any inhibition, at the moment, our democracy is not responsive enough. We must appeal to our leaders that things are almost getting out of hand at the rate at which we are going under a party that is envisioned to be progressive.”
Lukman warned that without a course correction, the country might witness rebellion, potentially resulting in the APC losing power in the 2027 elections and regressing to the state of affairs in 2015. He stressed the responsibility to convey these concerns to President Asiwaju, adding that his new book aims to address the issues surrounding the party’s experiences during the transition that brought President Bola Tinubu to power.
Regarding his resignation from the APC’s National Working Committee, Lukman clarified that it was not an act of rebellion against President Tinubu, contrary to some perceptions within the party. He emphasized that his decision was driven by a commitment to truth-telling, even if it meant conveying uncomfortable truths to the party leadership.
“I didn’t rebel against the leadership of President Asiwaju. All I thought as a person what we owe the president is to be able to tell him the truth, no matter what. And which was what I did,” Lukman stated, highlighting the need for open dialogue and constructive criticism within the party.
