Former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Moh Lukman, has warned that the escalating harsh economic hardship and hunger might force Nigerians to reject President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election if he seeks re-election.
He expressed fears that Nigeria is likely going to start witnessing rebellion over the discomforting situation in the country, warning that if care is not taken, the APC will be kicked out of office in 2027, and will result in taking Nigeria back to where it was in 2015.
Lukman who spoke at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, emphasised that the chieftains of the ruling party owe President Tinubu and the leaders of the party the responsibility to tell him the honest truth.
“I think we must be honest, and this is the point I make to our leaders; without any inhibition, at the moment, our democracy is not responsive enough. As a party of vision to be progressive, it is certainly not yet progressive. I think I am worried that our leaders have become very comfortable to imagine that they can do anything and get away with it.
“We must appeal to our leaders that things are almost getting out of hand at the rate at which we are going under a party that is envisioned to be progressive. We are likely going to start witnessing rebellion, and if care is not taken, by 2027, we will be kicked out of office, and that means taking Nigeria back to where it was in 2015. I think we owe our leader the responsibility or President Asiwaju the responsibility of telling him the honest truth,” he appealed.
Lukman, who spoke ahead of the launch of his new book next week, warned that it was high time political elders allowed youths to occupy elective and appointive positions.
Having produced the book, my first challenge was to say, how do I set up a platform using the book to get our leaders to have some deeper reflection, and begin to come up with strategies to engage both President Tinubu and all elected leaders produced by the party to really go back to the drawing board, and re-adjust in such a way that they see themselves as truly representatives of Nigerians, not emperors presiding over subjects.
“Nigerians are not the subjects of the elected representatives. Now, having said all of these and which is why in the last piece I released, I tried to show some of my background, my position generally is that we must not be in politics simply because we want to earn a living.
“If we want this democracy to serve Nigerians, we must make the sacrifice to be in politics in such a way that it’s not about us but about the people we represent. I am more than 60 now; ideally by now, I should have retired.
“If you ask me my best preference, whether to occupy position in government or in the party, I will prefer the opportunity to nominate, maybe, our younger ones. Up to 1980s, we had leaders presiding over the destiny of this country who were in their 40s.
“Now, we are having a situation which is the trend world over, it’s not just about Nigeria, it’s a trend world over; a situation where leaders are in their 70s. And the implication of that is that the positions which should be occupied by our children is being occupied by us.
I mean, we must open up the conversation. I am not saying it is a crime to be old. Or it is a crime to have long life but for me, I think part of the liability of old age as it’s manifesting in nation building now is when older people fail to make the needed sacrifice for children and younger generation to reap the benefit of a nation.
“I think that is the challenge we are facing and as progressive politicians, at least, I will say I’m a progressive politician. I’m hoping my party will be progressive. These are some of the public conversations we should be having. The part of the thing is the session, I mean, the public presentation, and I will share with you the final programme which will be imprinted,” he noted.
