2027: Ex-APC NWC member wants Obi, Atiku, Osinbajo, Amaechi to unite against Tinubu in new party

A former member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Moh Lukman, has suggested the most effective path to defeating President Bola Tinubu come 2027 is for all aggrieved political leaders to form a strong alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Essentially, Lukman wants formed a new political party that will have the likes of 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso respectively as chieftains, while also opening its doors to aggrieved members of the ruling party, such as former vice president, Yemi Osinbajo; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibukunle Amosun and immediate past Governor of Kaduna, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

In a statement he issued in Abuja today, Sunday, August 11, the former APC national vice chairman (North-West) expressed his disappointment, even anger, at what he described as the profligacy of the Tinubu-led federal administration amid mass hunger and poverty in Nigeria, emphasising that it’s the administration’s that is largely responsible for the volatility of the social and economic situations in the country at the moment.

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 that has led to mass poverty and starvation in the country.

“As it is, 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,” Lukman said.

“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.

According to Lukman,”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,” Lukman said, warning that once that lull 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 country,” Lukman surmised.

Courtesy: The Sun