Ministers: You’ve Dashed Nigerians’ Expectations, Ex-APC Vice Chair Tells Tinubu

Immediate-past national vice chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has expressed disappointment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s choice of ministers, saying he has dashed the hope of Nigerians.

Apart from the crop of persons picked as ministers, Lukman also listed what he described as disturbing signals in the prime of the Tinubu administration.

In an open letter to the President titled, “Disturbing Signals: Open Letter to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, the APC chieftain accused Tinubu of imposing another Muslim-Muslim scenario on the party after winning the February 25 poll with a same-faith ticket.

He outlined the “disturbing signals” to include the current exchange rate (dollar to naira), fuel pump price, and his choice of ministers, among others.

He said the endorsement of the new national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and national secretary, Ajibola Bashiru, both Muslims, was a disturbing signal, as it has generated tension among party members and other Nigerians.

He wondered why after Basiru from Osun State had replaced Iyiola Omisore, who resigned as national secretary from the same state, Tinubu refused to allow a former governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, who is one of the president’s key loyalists, or any other APC chieftain from Nasarawa State to replace Adamu but opted for another Muslim-Muslim “ticket.”

The former APC vice chairman faulted the criteria in the appointment of ministers, saying the developments might thwart the implementation of Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda.

Lukman states: “Your Excellency, I find it very compelling to send this open letter to you because there are disturbing signals, which if not averted could produce bigger problems and irreversibly destroy our electoral viability as a party.

“Without attempting to question your authority and commitment to the wellbeing of Nigeria as a nation, within the short period since May 29, 2023 when you assumed office, there are decisions you took, which are very disturbing to many of us who are loyal party members.

“Rather than even attempting to respond to that challenge and demonstrate that truly we only invoked the Muslim-Muslim ticket as an electoral strategy, in a very insensitive manner we imposed another Muslim-Muslim scenario in the party with national chairman and national secretary both Muslims.

“And we want to claim we are a progressive party? What is the brand of our progressive politics? Certainly, not the one which Nigerians expect, which endears us to citizens on account of which Nigerians gave us the mandate to manage the affairs of government since 2015. As it is, both as party members and as Nigerians, our expectation from your government has crashed.”