A former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has warned that the unchecked personal ambitions of key opposition political figures will ultimately hand an easy victory to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling party in the 2027 general elections.
Lukman, who has consistently advocated a united front among opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, expressed concern during an interview on Arise News Morning Show monitored in Abuja on Friday that opposition leaders are repeating the exact missteps that fractured their ranks ahead of the 2023 polls.
Reacting to the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja that set aside an earlier High Court ruling ordering the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties, Lukman noted that legal triumphs mean little without genuine political cohesion.
Lukman stated, “As a Nigerian, I am not excited by all this development because if you recall, as an advocate of the coalition and the unity of the opposition leaders when we started about two years ago, the objectives were basically two: to get the opposition leaders united and to also factor the need to build a party that can hold elected leaders accountable,”.
He added, “As it is today, I think no matter what comes out of the judicial process, we can have a party that can contest the election, but I see us going back to 2023, repeating almost the same things that happened in 2023 and expecting a miracle to happen.”
Expressing dismay over the current state of governance under the ruling party, Lukman lamented that the lack of a strong opposition leaves citizens without viable choices. He stated, “We are all troubled by the fact that here we are boxed with an APC government and an elected leadership that is hardly accountable, and by the day, by the hour, things keep getting worse,”.
He continued, “The hope and expectation is that election will produce competition on the basis of which better new leadership can emerge. So far as a nation, it seems we are not approaching that at all, and in the 2027 election, we may end up mismanaging ourselves as an opposition.”
Lukman challenged key opposition figures to prioritize the survival of the country over their individual presidential ambitions. He asked, “We must pose a question: is the personal ambition of leaders in the opposition far more important than the destiny of rescuing the country? Are the opposition leaders unable to approach this challenge with the need to make personal sacrifices in such a way that they can be united and we can confront this election?.”
Speaking on his desire to see a change in government, Lukman declared, “Look, as a person, I don’t have any restraint; I want APC and President Tinubu defeated out of government in 2027, but the way we are going about it, I am frustrated, I must be honest”.
Revealing his political stance, Lukman disclosed that his dissatisfaction with the trajectory of opposition politics compelled him to suspend his membership in the ADC. He stated, “About two weeks ago, out of frustration, I announced the suspension of my membership because, look, we are faced with a serious challenge. Partisan affiliation will not get us out of this mess that we are facing now.”
He added, “Part of the arrogance and the audacity of APC leaders and President Tinubu is also the weakness of the opposition, which is why although things are hard, they keep saying the government is achieving a lot when there is nothing to show”.
Lukman noted that consultation efforts are underway among patriotic political actors to compel opposition figures back to the negotiating table before the 2027 election cycle gathers momentum. He stated, “Part of the difficulty in even managing them is because the opposition is not united. The same way the opposition contested the 2023 election, they want to contest the 2027 election and get a different result,”.
He remarked, “Let’s not deceive ourselves; let’s not deceive Nigerians. Many of us as politicians and patriotic Nigerians are committed to starting a new run of engagement with the aim of forcing the opposition leadership to come back to the negotiation table and negotiate a deal that is not about their personal ambition. This country is bigger than all of them.”
Addressing the debate on regional zoning, Lukman insisted that the focus must remain on competence and accountability. He stated, “Whether you bring somebody from the South who is unaccountable, it is not going to please me,” adding, “So long as they will present a better form of leadership, be accountable to citizens who elect them, and have some kind of listening ear, I will support that.”
On the administration of elections, Lukman observed that credibility cannot be declared by executive fiat but must be demonstrated by the electoral umpire. He stated, “The mere fact that President Tinubu will be the one giving testimony about the neutrality of INEC highlights some problems,” adding, “INEC should be the one to prove to Nigerians that they are neutral, and neutrality is not something you go searching for; everybody on the field can see whether they are neutral or not.”
Calling for a demilitarized electoral process, Lukman remarked, “In neighboring countries as close as Ghana, you see elections taking place almost like any normal business. You hardly hear of a total shutdown of the country. Until we get to the point where an election is a civic responsibility and citizens exercise it without much restraint or bazaar, whether military is present or police is present, we cannot truly celebrate our elections.”
Speaking later on Channels Television, Lukman reiterated his warning to opposition political parties, stating, “I would say that 2027 will be more of a coronation than an election. The pain every Nigerian is going through is that Nigeria is not changing for the better,” noting that economic hardship across the country is evident in the daily lives of citizens.
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