While acknowledging the initial optimism surrounding Bola Tinubu’s leadership and its potential to propel the APC towards becoming a genuinely progressive party, Lukman cautioned that confidence in this vision has waned. He emphasized that the party’s commitment to internal democracy appears to have been overshadowed by the pursuit of individual interests, particularly by influential figures like President Tinubu.
Lukman lamented the erosion of the party’s foundational principles, citing a lack of adherence to the APC constitution and the dilution of internal democratic processes. This, in his view, has laid the groundwork for the entrenchment of manipulative practices such as imposition, vote buying, and rigging within the APC, echoing the trajectory witnessed within the PDP in 2007.
He further warned that the absence of structured and lawful operations within political parties in Nigeria will perpetuate the troubling trend of political contest manipulation. Lukman also alluded to the pervasive silence and acquiescence within the APC, particularly in the aftermath of significant leadership transitions, as a concerning indicator of the deteriorating state of internal democracy.
The statement by Dr. Salihu Lukman serves as an urgent call to address the growing subversion of democratic processes within the APC, emphasizing the need to uphold the principles of fairness and transparency in political contests.
