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Former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has declared that his overriding political objective ahead of the 2027 general election is to see President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC voted out of office, warning that the opposition will hand the party another victory unless it puts aside personal ambitions and unites behind a common cause.
Lukman, now a leading figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led opposition coalition, said he was increasingly frustrated by the direction of opposition politics despite years of consultations aimed at building a formidable alliance capable of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News, Lukman recalled that discussions on forming a broad opposition coalition began about two years ago with two clear objectives: to unite opposition leaders and establish a political platform capable of holding elected leaders accountable.
“Let me be very, very honest with you. As a Nigerian, I am not excited by all these developments because, if you recall, when we started about two years ago advocating for the coalition and the unity of opposition leaders, the objectives were basically two: to get the opposition leaders united and to also factor in the need to hold elected leaders accountable,” he said.
According to him, those objectives have yet to be realised, warning that the opposition risks repeating the mistakes of the 2023 elections if it continues to operate as divided political blocs.
“As it is today, no matter what comes out of the judicial process, we can have a party that can contest the election, but I see us going back to 2023, repeating almost the same things and expecting miracles to happen.”
Lukman argued that many Nigerians were disappointed with the performance of the APC administration, saying the country was in urgent need of credible political competition capable of producing a more accountable government.
“As a Nigerian, we are all troubled by the fact that here we are boxed with an APC government and elected leadership that is hardly accountable. By the day, by the hour, things keep getting worse. The hope and expectation is that elections will produce competition on the basis of which better and new leadership can emerge.”
He warned that unless opposition leaders changed course, the 2027 elections could become another missed opportunity for political change.
“So far as a nation, it seems we are not approaching that at all, and in the 2027 election we may end up mismanaging ourselves as an opposition. I am speaking very cautiously and with due respect to all our leaders in the opposition.”
The former APC chieftain said the biggest obstacle confronting the opposition was the inability of its leaders to subordinate personal political ambitions to the national interest.
“We must ask ourselves whether the personal ambition of leaders in the opposition is more important than rescuing the country. Are opposition leaders unable to make the sacrifices required so they can unite and confront this election together?”
Lukman then made his strongest political declaration yet, saying his personal mission was to ensure the APC lost power in the next general election.
“I don’t have any restraint. I want APC and President Asiwaju defeated and out of government in 2027. But the way we are going about it, I am frustrated. I must be honest.”
He disclosed that consultations had already begun with like-minded politicians within the ADC and across other opposition parties to build an independent movement that would pressure opposition leaders to return to the negotiating table.
“We have commenced consultations with like-minded people, both within the party and across the opposition, because we have to challenge the opposition leadership. They either unite or stop wasting Nigerians’ time. Much of the difficulty we face, including the legal battles, stems from the opposition’s lack of unity.”
Lukman also criticised what he described as the opposition’s determination to repeat the same strategy adopted during the 2023 elections while expecting a different outcome.
“The same way the opposition contested the 2023 election is the same way they want to contest this 2027 election and get a different result. Let us not deceive ourselves. Let us not deceive Nigerians.”
He maintained that the new round of consultations would focus on compelling opposition leaders to negotiate an agreement centred on Nigeria’s future rather than individual political aspirations. According to him, only a united opposition built on collective sacrifice and a shared national vision can mount a credible challenge to the APC and offer Nigerians the leadership alternative they have been demanding ahead of the 2027 elections.
