Former National Vice Chairman, North West of the All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to wade in and halt perceived impunity and infractions of both the APC and the Nigerian Constitution by the APC National Working Committee under the leadership of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
In a letter entitled “APC and Subversion of Nigerian Democracy,” dated May 21, 2024, addressed to President Tinubu and sighted by the Nigerian Tribune, the former member of the APC NWC alleged that the provisions of both the APC Constitution and the Nigerian Constitution were being observed in breaches by the Ganduje-led NWC of the Party.
The former Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum accused Ganduje of appropriating the powers of other statutory organs of the party, while he equally faulted Tinubu’s indifference to violations of the zoning arrangement in the party with his endorsement of Ganduje from the North West as a replacement for the immediate past National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu from the North Central Zone.
Lukman further argued that the retention of the former Kano state governor as National Chairman of the ruling party constitutes a moral burden on the present administration against the background of the subsisting corruption allegation against him.
“To say the least, the choice of Dr Ganduje with all the uncleared allegations of corruption around him further raises questions about your commitment to the development of the APC as a political party and Nigerian democracy.”
Lukman, who further alleged that the doors of the Presidential Villa had been shut against him, dropped the hint of legal action against the party leadership if necessary actions were not taken to “activate all organs of the APC in line with the extant provisions of the party’s Constitution.
His letter reads in part: “II am compelled to kindly draw Your Excellency’s attention that, as it is, our party is operating almost blindly without recourse to provisions of the APC Constitution. Meetings of organs as specified by relevant provisions of the APC Constitution are not taking place. Decisions, which established organs of the party are expected to take, are being taken by individual leaders outside those organs.
“One of the critical organs, the Board of Trustees, which is renamed the National Advisory Council, has not been inaugurated since the formation of the APC in July 2013. In such a reality, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party has appropriated the powers of all organs, and in its name, the National Chairman is making discretionary decisions.
“With such reality, many of the decisions taken not only violate sections of the APC Constitution but also undermine Sections 221–229 of Part Il of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, as well as the Electoral Act 2022. As things are, we have been regressing democratically as a nation.
“Due to the inability to comply with statutory provisions regulating the conduct of political parties, we are embarrassingly running governments that don’t value principles of consultation and respecting valid agreements contracted through diligent political negotiations.
“One of such agreements nullified was the decision to zone the National Chairman of APC to the North-Central geopolitical zone. It was disappointing that you nominated Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from Kano State, North-West, against the agreement reached in March 2022, which zoned the position to Nasarawa State, North-Central.
“To say the least, the choice of Dr Ganduje, with all the uncleared allegations of corruption around him, further raises questions about your commitment to the development of the APC as a political party and Nigerian democracy.
“Consequently, all the serial decisions taken without references to organs of the APC and complying with subsisting internal agreements have resulted in outright violation of relevant provisions of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, which imposes the requirement to ensure the establishment of inclusive governments at all levels.
“Sadly and painfully, on account of such violations, we today have an APC-led Federal Government under your stewardship that marginalises the North-Central geopolitical zone of the country. What all these indicate is that, as a party, under Your Excellency’s leadership, we are culpable of subverting Nigerian democracy.
“As a committed member of APC and as someone who has worked hard and made so many sacrifices for the growth and development of the party., I find our current reality highly unacceptable. I have made several requests to meet with you for more than a year now since your election as President of the Federal Republic, which, perhaps understandably, you have been unable to grant.
“Although you had time to meet political mercenaries who campaigned against your election during the 2023 elections, you don’t deem it important to meet people like me who fought hard against all odds on your side.
“Without sounding arrogant, Your Excellency, I want to remind you that the commitment of some of us to democracy is not about occupying offices or enriching ourselves. We have been in the trenches fighting for democracy almost all our lives. In pursuit of that and believing that the decision to nominate Dr. Ganduje as National Chairman would be injurious to our democracy, I resigned from my position as National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the APC in July 2023.
“Having resigned from the leadership of the party, she remained very active and obedient in the hope that all the circumstances that led to the agitation, which compelled Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. Lyiola Omisore to resign, would be redressed. Unfortunately, instead, things have gotten worse. The other reality is also that I never imagined that under your leadership, being someone who has also been in the trenches fighting for democracy, you would be associated with decisions that outrightly subvert our democracy.
“Yet here we are, stagnant with such reality. Every attempt to access you has been blocked. Therefore, being a lesser mortal and someone who is committed to the development of our democracy, I want to kindly demand that every necessary initiative be started between now (May 21, 2024) and June 7, 2024, to activate all organs of the APC in line with the existing provisions of the party’s constitution. Failure to do that will compel me, as a patriotic Nigerian and loyal party member who has paid his dues, to seek legal redress.
“Democracy is meaningless without functional political parties. When leaders of the ruling party deliberately subvert the provisions of the party’s constitution, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), and the Electoral Act 2022, membership in the party is rendered useless.
“As citizens committed to the development, protection, and survival of democracy, it is incumbent on us to initiate every legitimate civil and legal action to enforce compliance with the existing provisions of all the laws that regulate the conduct of political parties and their leadership.
“I do hope Your Excellency will recover his democratic and progressive credentials and immediately initiate actions towards deeper political reforms in the country, starting with our party, APC. While looking forward to a full-scale return to constitutional and legal order in APC, kindly accept the assurances of my highest esteem.”
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