Former APC chairman Lukman calls for opposition unity to oust Tinubu

Former Deputy National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North West, Salihu Lukman, on Sunday, expressed concern over the growing hopelessness in Nigeria and urged political leaders to unite and challenge the present administration.

In a statement titled “The Future of Democracy in Nigeria,” Lukman called on political leaders to unite, including former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, his counterpart from Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, and others, to form a united front capable of advancing Nigeria’s democracy.

He lamented the current state of the country, citing poverty, unemployment, insecurity and corruption, among other challenges.

He criticized the APC for legitimizing corruption and “state takeover” at all levels despite promising to fight corruption.

Lukman warned that the current administration could destroy the economic gains of the South-West region, similar to how former President Buhari’s tenure affected the North.

The former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) stressed the need for selflessness among political leaders and urged them to set aside personal ambitions for the sake of the country.

He said a coalition among opposition figures would be acceptable across the region, including the Southeast, which has rejected the APC since 2015.

The statement read: “What is the future of democracy in Nigeria? Is there any prospect that democracy can produce leaders who are responsive to national challenges?

“Being responsive is fundamentally about ensuring that public spending is directed at addressing the challenges that citizens face.

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“What are the challenges facing Nigerians today? Poverty, unemployment, insecurity, drug and substance abuse, millions of out-of-school children in the North, etc. Not to mention the problem of inflation and falling income especially in the last one year under the leadership of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The danger of President Asiwaju’s way of running the country is the potential destruction of the relative economic advantage of the Southwest, much like the way former President Buhari left the North in a slump after eight years in office.

“Worse still, the negative impact of the falling Naira exchange rate and rising production costs for various industries – small, medium and large scale – will be even more devastating for the economy of the South West region than any other region.

“Unfortunately, given the advanced stage of ‘state takeover’ at the Federal level, most political leaders, including prominent opposition leaders like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are all operating in isolation from each other. APC leaders like former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesole, etc. who are more like political orphans due to their exclusion from President Asiwaju Tinubu’s administration have been pushed to the fringes of Nigerian politics.

“Given that the failure of the APC has widened the divide in the country, it is important to seriously consider developing a united political front to unite political leaders across the country. For example, the way the people of the South-East have rejected the APC since 2015 must be corrected.

“Any new united political front must have high acceptance in almost all parts of the country. The requirement for high acceptance from all parts of the country should humble all political leaders in the country, especially Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi not to exploit the need for such a united front by pushing their presidential ambitions.

“In the same vein, other APC leaders like Prof. Osinbajo, Chief Amaechi, Dr. Fayemi, Mal. El-Rufai, Senator Amosu, etc. (APC political orphans) who somehow harbor ambitions of becoming President of Nigeria should bury such ambitions, at least not during the negotiations to form a united political front.”

Lukman’s call for unity among political leaders came in response to growing dissatisfaction with the current government and the need for a united front to challenge its leadership.

The success of such a merger remains to be seen, as it would require significant compromise and selflessness from the political leaders involved.

Former APC Chairman Lukman calls for unity among opposition to oust Tinubu first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.