The immediate-past National Vice Chairman, North West, of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Moh. Lukman, has advocated for a political united front of all opposition leaders in the country, irrespective of political parties, to tackle the present challenges facing the country, allegedly aggravated by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
Lukman made his position known in an article he penned on Sunday and made available to the media the same day.
According to the former member of the APC, for democracy to yield its desired dividends and the country be free from “state capture”, which gave birth to the myriad of problems facing the country, the political class and elite must lead by example and work with unity of purpose to guarantee peace and social justice to the citizens.
He said the major plank for the APC coming into power in 2015 with the election of former President Muhammadu Buhari was the failings of the then ruling party at the federal level, the Peoples Democratic Party.
He, however, said nine years after, the APC has not fared better but worse than the PDP.
He wrote: Although some officials of the government of President Asiwaju Tinubu have attempted to explain the current hardship Nigerians are facing with reference to the bad economy inherited from the previous administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the reality is that both are APC Governments.
“If anything, APC became very popular in Nigeria on account of the failings of the PDP. What were the failings of the PDP?
“The failings of the PDP are reflected in the same way today’s challenges are manifesting.
“If the truth is to be told, whatever was the failings of PDP in 2015, it was less grievous than what it has become under APC in 2024.
“No doubt, former President Buhari had his problem as a leader.
“However, whatever was estimated to be his failure should be the shared responsibility of APC leaders in varying degrees, including President Asiwaju Tinubu.
“No leader of APC should attempt to distance himself/herself from the failure of the Buhari era, certainly, not President Asiwaju Tinubu.
“In one way or the other, APC leaders, without exception, are ‘beneficiaries’ of the Buhari era, just as some of them could claim to be victims.
“On balance however, APC leaders benefited more from the Buhari era than being victims.
“At least electorally, former President Buhari made it possible for APC to defeat the PDP. Without former President Buhari, the defeat of PDP in 2015 would have been almost impossible, and by extension, arguably, would have been difficult, if not impossible for President Asiwaju Tinubu to become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Lukman therefore called for a coalition across party lines, ethnic and religious divides to get President Tinubu out of power in 2027.
He said this was the only way to restoration for the country.
He said: “We must appeal to all political leaders in Nigeria, across all the political parties in the country to commit themselves in forging a new atmosphere of political unity in the country based on selfless disposition, forgiving the misgiving of past and national reconciliation.
“If APC and President Asiwaju Tinubu are to have any considerable electoral strength in 2027 it will be on account of the current division, which characterise Nigerian politics and make it impossible for any form of cooperation by political leaders.
“Absence of cooperation among political leaders is responsible for the rising incidences of bad governance in the country and is eroding the basis of Nigerian nationhood.
“Once democracy cannot respond to challenges facing citizens, Nigeria as a sovereign entity will be irrelevant and questionable.
“Nigerian opposition political leaders, including the orphaned leaders of APC who are excluded in the APC government of President Asiwaju Tinubu, notably Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, etc, must unite to rescue Nigeria.
“Whether producing the united political platform can be achieved through merger of existing parties, forming a new party or rebranding any of the existing parties is a decision that can be determined if leaders agree to come together and unite.
“First thing first, political leaders must recognise that rescuing Nigeria from its current slippery slope is about teamwork and partnership.
“It is only through conscious and committed teamwork that we can rebuild important democratic institutions such as political parties, legislatures, electoral bodies, and other institutions, which could hold elected officials accountable.
“Beyond holding elected officials accountable, it is only when we have strong political parties with leaders who run affairs of the party based on provisions of party constitutions that processes of leadership selection can be sanitised in the country….
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“Or why shouldn’t they aspire to register their name as political leaders who were able to rise to the occasion in Nigeria’s hour of national need by coming together to forge a united political front, which could transformed Nigeria’s democracy and reverse the phenomenon of ‘state capture’ that produced ‘small corrupt groups’ of used ‘government officials’ who are appropriating ‘government decision-making to strengthen their own economic positions’?
“May God unite all patriotic political leaders in Nigeria across all parties, including orphaned leaders of APC and strengthen them with the capacity to be selfless and commit themselves to building all the democratic institutions that can make elected leaders and governments at all levels accountable to citizens based on which Nigeria’s democracy is effectively capable of responding to national challenges and meeting the expectations of citizens.
“Amin!”
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