Ex-APC NWC member wants Obi, Atiku, Osinbajo, Amaechi to unite against Tinubu

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Former member National Working Committee (NWC) of All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Moh Lukman, has suggested that the best way to end President Bola Tinubu-led bad administration will be for aggrieved political leaders to form a strong political alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Lukman, specially demanded the formation of a political party capable of rescuing the country that will have the like of 2023 presidential candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso respectively, and aggrieved members of the ruling party, comprising former vice president, Yemi Osinbajo,  Rotimi Amaechi, Kayode Fayemi, Ibikunle Amosun, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, among others.

In a statement he issued in Abuja, the former APC national vice chairman North-West expressed anger that the Tinubu-led administration has been on a roller coaster aggrandised spendings amid mass hunger and poverty in the country, emphasising that it is partly responsible for the highly volatile situation in the country.

The former director general of APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) disclosed that though there are already unfolding initiatives, the rising anger in the country must be utilised and directed to strengthen the emergence of a veritable functional political party different from APC, PDP, LP and NNPP.

He further argued that political parties like the PDP,  LP, NNPP can no longer serve as the platforms to rescue Nigeria from its current unfortunate self-inflicted downward spiral producing mass poverty and starvation.

“As it is, the President Tinubu’s administration seems to be on a roller coaster of aggrandised spendings amid mass hunger and poverty in the country, which is partly responsible for the highly volatile situation in the country.

“Every committed democrat in the country must wake up to this challenge and seek to mobilise Nigerians to direct their anger creatively and positively towards reformation of democratic structures in the country.

“Given that majority political leaders are already aggrieved and with the way the government has rendered virtually all registered political parties comatose, the process of uniting aggrieved political leaders across all parties must earnestly commence.

“This is the point when ideally, opposition leaders such as Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso should step forward to provide the needed leadership to reform our democracy and ensure the emergence of a functional political party capable of rescuing Nigeria.

“In addition to opposition leaders, other political leaders in APC who have been edged out of the party should join forces with opposition leaders to rescue the country and put Nigeria back on the path of democratic development.

“These leaders include Osinbajo, Amaechi, Fayemi, Amosun, El-Rufai, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and many others. While acknowledging that there are already unfolding initiatives in this direction, the rising anger in the country must be utilised and directed to strengthen the emergence of a veritable functional political party different from APC, PDP, LP and NNPP.

“As it is, it must be acknowledged that these parties cannot serve as the platforms to rescue Nigeria from its current unfortunate self-inflicted downward spiral producing mass poverty and starvation,” the statement read.

Reacting further, Lukman suggested that: “the restlessness of Nigerian youths must be mobilised and directed appropriately to push the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register all new parties that meet every statutory requirement for registration. Whether by design or default, there seems to be an undeclared moratorium for registration of new parties by INEC.

“Once that is sustained, it will embolden governments at all levels to continue with the current arrogant disposition of behaving like a colonial administration, which has conquered Nigerians and has no obligation to be responsive to the plight of citizens, not to talk of being accountable to Nigerians.

“Being able to produce a functional political party capable of mobilising Nigerians to defeat current leaders is a fundamental precondition to douse tension in the country and revive the hopes of Nigerians about the possibility of a better and prosperous Nigeria,” Lukman argued.