APC Almost In State Of Denial, Former Vice Chairman Declares

Former national vice chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Salihu Lukman, has urged Nigerians not to allow serving political leaders to reduce the current challenges facing the country to the cheap debate on who should become the next president of Nigeria in 2027.

Lukman, a former director general of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), noted that under the APC, it has become just like in the build up to the 2015 polls when Nigerians were confronted with then ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) denying the challenges facing Nigerian politics that entrenched ‘morbid desire for naked power’.

He said the APC is gradually moving into a state of self-denial with the APC government led by President Bola Tinubu retaining the same behavioural attribute of demobilising APC structures and blocking them from operating in line with the provisions of the party constitution.

In a statement, yesterday, in Abuja titled, “Nigerian Politics of Morbid Desire for Naked Power”, Lukman warned that the development portends danger, as APC may be thrown out of power in 2027 just like PDP experienced in 2015.

He said while APC leaders, President Tinubu and members of the party may wish to delude themselves into believing anything to the contrary, the reality is that there is a limit to which Nigerians can continue to tolerate and accommodate injustice, inequitable representation and unfairness on account of ‘morbid desire for naked power’ by leaders entrusted with governmental responsibilities.

The APC chieftain said “Like late Chief Awolowo has argued, the need for a campaign to end ‘morbid desire for naked power’ in Nigerian politics is urgent and massive. Nigerians must not allow serving political leaders to reduce the current challenges facing the country to the cheap question of who will emerge as the next President of Nigeria in 2027.

“Whether President Asiwaju Tinubu will continue for another four years after 2027 or not should be determined based on his ability or otherwise to restore constitutional order and return the APC to its founding vision of being oriented as a progressive political party.

“Just like the case of negotiating the merger that produce the APC, which started in 2012, after the 2011 general elections, more than three years before the 2015 general elections, if Nigerian politics is to move forward such that structures of political parties, are activated and made functional, which is a fundamental precondition for ‘moral and spiritual reconstruction’ of Nigerian society, reopening political negotiations in the country aimed at ‘demolishing morbid desire for naked power’ is ‘urgent and massive’ as prophesised by the revered late Chief Awolowo.

“APC leaders, including President Asiwaju Tinubu have very limited choices in this respect. It is quite worrisome and disappointing that with every change in leadership of the party, respect for rules of the APC as contained in the APC constitution gets further eroded.

“Very troubling, after ten years of APC existence, the National Advisory Council, which is expected to serve as the conscience of the party is yet to be constituted. The APC has no defined funding mechanism. The party doesn’t operate any budget and doesn’t render financial account to any organ.

“Almost all operations of the party, including managing its finances is manage in ad hoc manner based on the personal discretion of the National Chairman. These were the main issues, which were responsible for the internal disagreements with the leadership of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. Iyiola Omisore leading to their resignations.”

The APC chieftain said there is urgent need for moral and spiritual reconstruction of Nigeria to demolish morbid desire for naked power.

He continued: “Like is often said, charity begins at home, Renewing the Hopes of Nigerians must start with restoring constitutional order and returning APC to its founding vision based on which members can have stronger influences on governments produced by the party, especially the Federal Government led by President Asiwaju Tinubu.

“The capacity of President Asiwaju Tinubu’s government to achieve ‘moral and spiritual reconstruction’ of Nigeria in line with the political foresight and ingenuity of late Chief Awolowo who is supposed to be the political role model of President Asiwaju Tinubu is only possible if structures of the APC are allowed to function in line with the provision of the party’s constitution.”

He said anything short of that will amount to political betrayal of late Chief Awolowo.

“President Asiwaju Tinubu must never allow history to record him as one of those who betrayed the late Chief Awolowo,” he said.