Salihu Moh. Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has strongly criticized his former party and the leadership of both former President Muhammadu Buhari and current President Bola Tinubu, accusing them of ruining Nigeria.
In a statement issued over the weekend, Lukman expressed his dismay over the state of the nation under APC’s rule, urging Nigerians to seize the opportunity in the 2027 elections to bring about a much-needed change.
Lukman emphasized that simply replacing the APC with another party would not be sufficient. He argued that Nigerians must work towards establishing a system where the new political party has the authority to hold elected officials accountable.
Lukman said, “It is not enough to replace the APC. We need a system where the next political leaders are effectively checked to prevent a repeat of the failures we have witnessed.”
Lukman also expressed disappointment in the leading opposition politicians, accusing them of focusing more on their personal presidential ambitions than on the broader national interest of rescuing Nigeria from what he described as the “vice-grip of current political hawks.”
He pointed out that figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who were all presidential candidates in the 2023 election, are more concerned with their own political futures than with uniting to challenge the APC in 2027.
Lukman noted, “The strength or confidence of President Tinubu is derived from their inability to open themselves and honestly commence negotiations to build a united front ahead of 2027.”
Reflecting on the performance of President Tinubu since taking office, Lukman described it as disastrous and said that the opposition’s failure to unite only emboldens Tinubu to continue with what he called his “impulsive visionless governance experiment.”
He warned that the continued disunity among opposition leaders could have dire consequences for the nation. “Their inability to commence proper political negotiations is emboldening President Tinubu to continue with his impulsive visionless governance experiment, unperturbed by the harsh realities it has created for Nigerians,” Lukman lamented.
In his statement, Lukman did not mince words about his dissatisfaction with the APC’s governance. He described how the party, which came to power in 2015 with promises to address key issues like insecurity, corruption, and economic instability, has instead worsened the situation.
Lukman said, “No doubt, by any standard, both President Tinubu and APC have failed Nigerians. It is quite disheartening that a party, which came with all the promises of changing Nigeria for the better has ended up ruining the country.”
Lukman also criticized both Buhari and Tinubu for their leadership styles, accusing them of being self-centered and failing to provide the necessary direction to pull the country out of its challenges. He admitted that those who supported these leaders did not anticipate the scale of their failure.
“Certainly, all of us who were actively in support of these leaders never imagined that they would be such colossal failures,” Lukman admitted.
He went on to express concern about the future, stating that if the opposition leaders do not moderate their ambitions and work together, they risk leading the country down the same path of mismanagement due to personal ambitions.
Lukman asked, “The big question is whether, on account of personal ambitions, we want to continue to mismanage our reality and sacrifice every opportunity, which ideally a democratic system offers.”
Lukman further argued that the goal should not just be to defeat the APC and President Tinubu in 2027, but to create a strongly democratic nation that responds to the needs of Nigerians. He called for the emergence of a strong political party that can regulate and direct the conduct of all elected representatives, especially the President.
“Nigerians are wary of just supporting the ambition of any person simply because we are unhappy with the performance of a serving President,” Lukman stated.
He concluded by questioning the factors that led to the failure of the APC and its leaders, urging for the creation of a new political party that could overcome the weaknesses of the APC and ensure that elected representatives do not become “emperors and overlords.”