You lack the capacity to advise Nigerians on 2027 elections, APC blasts Salihu Lukman
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the statements in which its former National Vice Chairman, Salihu Lukman, called on the opposition and Nigerians to vote out the APC in 2027, saying “Lukman is not in any position to advise Nigerians on how to vote or who to vote for”.
Salihu Lukman has been a vocal critic of the administration of President Bola Tinubu, even as he had at various times called for the removal of the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullah Ganduje, accusing the party leadership of running the APC by fiat and without inputs from stakeholders. He recently tendered his letter of resignation from the party and has been calling on the opposition to unite and remove the APC from power in the 2027 elections.
But the party, in press statement, issued in Abuja, on Tuesday by it’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, said the ex-APC chieftain’s most recent appeal for opposition leaders to band together against the APC is a planned attempt to garner political clout, deflect criticism from the current administration’s notable advancements, and forward his own self-serving agenda.
The APC added that bold steps are being taken by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to fix the nation’s long-broken economy, bolster national security, and bring the nation back to a state of healthy and sustainable development.
It implored Nigerians to stay focused and unaffected by the petty arguments and misinformation of the opposition, and to stick with President Tinubu in his efforts to advance national development and create a more exciting future for the nation.
The full text of the press statement is presented as follows:
ABUJA, FCT
SEPTEMBER 10, 2024
PRESS STATEMENT
SALIHU LUKMAN, A CANTANKEROUS POLITICAL RODOMONT
Salihu Lukman’s hunger for attention is insatiable. Not even his frenzied political soliloquy in self-adulation has proved sufficient to fill his bottomless obsession for attention. Since his exit as a National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lukman has been sleepless in search of political relevance. He seems to have found for himself, for now, a new role as the chief discordant trumpeter for a cacophonous political opposition.
In his new self-assigned role, he alleges, without substantiation, that APC “ruined the country in economic policies and corruption” and called on opposition parties and Nigerians to vote out APC in 2027. Such an empty and outlandish allegation is undeserving of any response especially coming from a displaced political gaslighter.
One day, Lukman claims to be a progressive committed to fixing the People Democratic Party’s (PDP) 16 years of rot, another day, he proclaims abiding faith in the capacity of the PDP and decadent political opposition to save Nigeria. Lacking conviction, or staying power to justify any cause, Lukman is not in any position to advise Nigerians on how to vote or who to vote for.
Lukman’s history is one of opportunistic politicking, consistently prioritizing his personal ego and interests over the interest of any and all institutions he has ever served. With a highly solipsistic disposition, Lukman is always right, never wrong, wallowing in his bubble of self importance while deprecating group and national interests. His latest call for opposition leaders to unite against the APC is a calculated move to cobble political relevance, divert attention from the administration’s substantial progress, and further his own selfish agenda. Lukman is simply a cantankerous political rodomont.
It is ludicrous to tout opposition PDP and Labour Party (LP) that cannot even manage their own internal affairs as capable of offering responsible and visionary leadership to Nigeria. The same opposition parties that Lukman devoted a good number of years lampooning as inept, chronically corrupt, unpatriotic and destructive to our democracy. It takes an overdose of blinding self interest to vacillate between extremes without reason or rationality. In all of his painfully verbose Sisyphean letters to the Greek gods, Lukman has not explained to Nigerians why he believes as he believes in the failed opposition parties.
The APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu is taking bold measures to reset our country’s long broken economy, improve national security and restore the country to wholesome and sustainable development. No doubt, these inevitable reforms have increased economic hardship for our people. In fact, the unwillingness of previous administrations to undertake these reforms and tackle the problems at their roots is the reason the economy has remained in the doldrums for a long time.
It would be easy and painless for President Tinubu to do as his predecessors have done, continue business as usual, kick the can down the road for future administrations to deal with while the rot and stagnation fester. But in keeping with the renewed hope agenda of his administration, he has chosen to tackle the country’s generational economic problems for the good of present and future generations of Nigerians. In the fullness of time, this President shall be vindicated for his vision and unwavering commitment to the national interest and the common good of all.
We urge Nigerians to remain focused and undistracted by the opposition’s pettiness and disinformation, and to continue to support President Tinubu in his commitment to building greater progress and a more vibrant future for our country.
Signed:
Felix Morka, Esq.
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
