A former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has urged the political class to stop lamenting the state of the economy and security challenges and instead organize themselves to unseat the ruling party in the next general elections.
Lukman, in a statement titled “Failure of APC,” said there is need for a credible alternative political party.
He expressed disappointment that the APC National Secretariat was subordinated to the Presidency during the Buhari administration and noted a disconnect between the Tinubu administration and the national leadership of the ruling party.
Lukman, however, insisted that both Buhari and Tinubu used the APC to win elections only to ignore its blueprint sold to the electorate.
He called on patriotic Nigerians to mobilize and produce an alternative democratic platform.
He said, “Just like we succeeded in pushing the military back to the barracks and defeating the PDP in 2015, it is possible to create a politically viable and truly popular democratically alternative platform that can put the APC in its rightful place and overcome the current extreme right-wing adventurously unplanned leadership of President Asiwaju Tinubu.
“The beauty of being a democracy is the freedom it offers to engage in political contest. Patriotic Nigerians must practically and loudly convey the right message to President Asiwaju Tinubu, the APC leadership, and Nigerian politicians that our democracy must be transformed beyond the current ugly state of ceremonial elections, which end up producing leaders who continue to act like emperors and dictators who rule the country worse that military governments.
“Nigerians must be mobilised to rise above dishonest politicians who only manipulate their way to power and reduce to citizens to the status of conquered people. Democracy will be worthless if the result is only to elect civilian overlords. That can only be checked if we produce a functional political party, with committed leaders who submit themselves to processes of negotiations in all its ramifications, and agreements contracted that are binding and capable of regulating the conducts of elected representatives and governments produced at all levels. Nigerians are not conquered people!”
