Salihu Lukman, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s national vice chairman (North West), has resigned.
In a letter dated July 26 and delivered to the party’s acting national chairman, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Lukman, a member of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), claimed he quit because the climate in the party is at odds with the goal of its founding fathers.
However, Lukman rejected it, claiming that nominating Ganduje for the position before the party’s convention was insensitive.
He has previously stated that replacing ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje with Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former National Chairman of the governing party, would be suicidal.
According to APC sources, President Bola Tinubu recommended Ganduje for the position of national chairman following Adamu’s departure.
“Regrettably, many of the speculations do not share the commitment to either restore constitutional order in the party or return the party to its founding vision of returning to the path of progressive politics,” stated the vice chairman, who was one of the loud voices against Adamu.
“In fact, if any of the speculations are true, they will render the decision to change leadership nonsense, implying that no lessons have been learned from the events of the last few years since the emergence of the APC as a political party.”
“Already, the Governor’s bloc is speculating that Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje is being considered to succeed Senator Abdullahi Adamu.” If this is true, it just demonstrates insensitivity and taking party members for granted. This is without regard for Dr. Ganduje’s character.
“This is because such a choice would completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the current configuration of the National Assembly leadership.”
“With the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Senate President being from the North West and North Central, proposing the party’s National Chairman move to the North West from the North Central would be unjust and almost political suicide.”
“We must warn our governors that, since the formation of the APC, governors have served as the party’s conscience.” Any consideration for such an insensitive and discriminatory consideration of Dr. Ganduje as APC National Chairman must be rejected.
“If anything, the position of APC National Chairman in North Central must be retained.” Part of the problem of managing the party’s present transition is getting the NWC to appropriately take the lead in managing and facilitating talks to develop and engage party leaders. The NWC must stand up and direct the ongoing discussions. “No single power bloc should be allowed to seize control of the process.”
