Lukman to Tinubu and Governors: Choosing the next APC chairman without consulting the NWC is detrimental

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s National Vice Chairman, North-West, Dr Salihu Lukman, has said it is potentially risky and damaging to President Bola Tinubu and the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) to have allegedly decided on Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as the party’s next National Chairman without consulting other power blocs or meeting any of the party’s organs, including the National Working Committee (NWC).

To that end, he urged all those supporting the campaign to nominate Ganduje for the position of APC National Chairman, particularly PGF Chairman Senator Hope Uzodinma, to let the party’s due process to take its proper course in the selection process.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Lukman reminded President Tinubu and APC Governors that the party’s agreed-upon zoning formula had relinquished the office of National Chairman to North-Central.

He stated that the party’s incapacity to resurrect statutory organs suggests that the process of filling current vacancies will be manipulated to suit some narrow interests within the party, even if it means breaking APC constitution provisions.

“As NWC members, we must be seen to be active in the debate about the way forward,” he says. A situation in which President Asiwaju Tinubu and Progressive Governors are accused of deciding on Dr. Ganduje as the next National Chairman of the APC without consulting other power blocs in the party or meeting any of the party’s organs, including the NWC, is very risky and potentially damaging to President Asiwaju Tinubu and the party.”

Lukman emphasised that if this is associated with a President with a military background, it is understandable, but to be associated with Tinubu, whose background is entirely civilian, having led the struggle for democracy in Nigeria for nearly four decades, is unfathomable.

“We must therefore appeal to all those who are supporting this campaign to nominate Dr. Ganduje for the position of APC National Chairman, particularly His Excellency, Hope Uzodinma, Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum, to come to order and allow due process within the party to take its rightful course in the selection process of who becomes the next APC National Chairman,” he said.

“No one, including the PGF, should be allowed to entrench arbitrariness and injustice in the selection of the APC’s next National Chairman.”

“We must remind everyone, including President Asiwaju Tinubu, that so far, the agreed-upon zoning formula in the APC has seeded the position of National Chairman of the party to North Central.”