APC leaders manipulating party structure to impose candidates for 2023 – Lukman

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman has alleged that some leaders of the party are putting more energy and effort in terms of how they can manipulate party structures to impose their choices of candidates for 2023.

Lukman disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday titled “A Comparative Review of Performances in Government”.

He said as the 2023 elections approaches, the campaign message coming from leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is that they were on a mission to rescue Nigeria.

The party chieftain noted that the main opposition party claimed the APC government has mismanaged the economy, divided Nigerians and created insecurity.

He stressed that part of the arguments was that Nigeria is now the ‘poverty capital of the world’, while alleging that the poor performance of the APC led government of President Muhammadu Buhari contrasts with the ‘achievements’ recorded during the sixteen years of PDP between 1999 and 2015.

But Lukman said, ”the inability of APC leaders to proactively engage public debates around challenges of governance in the country has given PDP leaders some undeserved confidence to believe that 2023 elections can be won based on deceptive claims.

“Rather than evolve a strategy to mobilise party leaders and members to actively participate in the public debate based on showcasing the achievements of the APC led government using empirical records, some APC leaders are putting more energy and effort in terms of how they can manipulate party structures to impose their choices of candidates for 2023.”

On the forthcoming convention of the party slated for February 26, Lukman noted that the Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni and other members of the committee are working to destroy the party.

He said instead of taking steps to mobilise Nigerians to review progress and challenges as part of preparations for 2023, APC leaders and members are being held captive by the Buni-led Committee.

According to him, “Instead of working to organise a National Convention where new leadership is expected to emerge, the CECPC has constituted itself into a Frankenstein monster working to destroy the party.

The party chieftain said party leaders and members need to put behind all the uncertainty created by Buni around the National Convention so that the business of preparing for the 2023 electoral contest can earnestly begin in APC.

Lukman added: “Every committed party leader and member must rise to the challenge of compelling His Excellency Mai Mala Buni and his team of undertakers to hands off the party by ensuring that the February 26, 2022, National Convention is successful.