Former National Vice Chairman of the APC, Salihu Moh. Lukman, has urged former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, and General Aliyu Gusau to develop strategies to unseat the APC in 2027.
Lukman said Nigeria’s democracy is in critical condition, claiming that the country faces an existential crisis under the current leadership.
Reacting to reports of a meeting between Obasanjo, Babangida, and Gusau in Minna, Lukman questioned whether their absence from an August 13 vote of confidence on President Tinubu indicated disagreement.
He criticised Obasanjo and Babangida for contributing to Nigeria’s challenges but emphasized their duty to help rescue the country’s democracy.
Lukman warned that a strong political party is essential for holding leaders accountable, otherwise, Nigeria’s democracy will remain in the “Intensive Care Unit.”
The statement partly reads; “For instance, the political practices that are responsible for the erosion of political competition in political parties in Nigeria could be traceable to the tenure of former President Obasanjo. The policy of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) under former Military President Babangida could have been the source of inspiration for President Asiwaju Tinubu’s impulsive and unplanned policies. Although, to be fair to former Military President Babangida, to use Chidi Amuta’s words he ‘balanced compassion and hard policy choices.’
“To the extent of contributing to get Nigeria to the current messy situation, these leaders owe a responsibility to the nation to take it out of the ICU. Getting Nigerian democracy out of ICU is a function of ability to revive, restore and strengthen democratic structures in the country, which is dependent on ability to create at least a functional political party that would allow for political competition within its structures and by extension in the country. This should not just be about identifying and promoting a candidate who will emerge as a candidate in any of the registered parties. Once the approach is limited to producing a candidate, the potential of falling in a legal booby trap imposed by the manipulative activities of President Asiwaju Tinubu and APC is high. Part of the legal booby trap is that the potential candidate may be produced by a leadership faction of political party, which will throw the party and the candidate in court cases that will undermine electoral viability.
Lukman also compared President Tinubu to late General Sani Abacha, stating that Abacha was more accessible to the public than Tinubu, who, he claims, has overseen a worsening economic crisis since taking office.
