A former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has criticized the party’s reaction to recent calls for an opposition coalition, stating that it confirms how far the APC has drifted from its founding principles.
At a two-day national conference on democracy last week, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar renewed his call for opposition leaders to unite in order to “save” Nigeria’s democracy.
The event, which included ex-Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, featured discussions on the state of governance. El-Rufai particularly criticized the APC’s role in undermining opposition parties and urged them to collaborate to challenge the ruling government.
In response, APC spokesman Felix Morka dismissed Atiku’s statements as “laughable”, questioning his credibility and accusing him—alongside Peter Obi and El-Rufai—of blaming the APC for the internal challenges of opposition parties.
Reacting to Morka’s statement, Lukman condemned the APC’s dismissive attitude, stating that rather than addressing pressing national issues, the party had become contemptuous and authoritarian.
“The sad reality is that the APC, both as a party and as a government, failed to engage constructively with the issues raised. Instead, it reacted with arrogance, showing how far it has strayed from the progressive ideals that Nigerians supported in 2015 to remove the PDP from power,” Lukman said.
He also pointed out that many APC officials were invited to the conference but refused to attend, further proving that the party had become detached from national discourse.
“Just like the PDP in 2015, the APC has now become alienated from the people and despises any initiative aimed at addressing Nigeria’s challenges,” he added.
Lukman, who also served as the Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), warned that the APC’s repressive stance was reminiscent of past military regimes.
He drew comparisons between statements from government spokesmen like Bayo Onanuga and Felix Morka and the rhetoric of Comrade Uche Chukwumerije during the Babangida era, suggesting that the APC is adopting tactics once used to suppress dissent.
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