A former National Vice Chairman North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has stated that the recent removal of Senator Ali Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate and his expulsion from the party signals that President Bola Tinubu intends to serve only one term in office.
On Wednesday, Senator Ndume was replaced by Senator Tahir Monguno as Chief Whip of the Senate following a directive from APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and National Secretary Senator Basiru Ajibola. This directive came in response to Ndume’s alleged harsh criticisms of President Tinubu.
In a statement issued Thursday titled “Fanatical Mindset,” Lukman expressed his concerns over the suppression of free speech in Nigeria, likening the current political climate to the era of General Sani Abacha.
“Everything is being done to suspend free speech in the country. It is almost as if the country were back in the Abacha era, or even worse,” Lukman lamented.
He further stressed that personal liberties are being threatened, and fair hearings are no longer guaranteed, resulting in “democracy without democrats.”
Lukman criticized the legality of Ndume’s removal, noting that the APC Constitution does not grant the National Chairman, National Secretary, or even the National Working Committee the authority to unilaterally remove any principal officer of the National Assembly.
“The way things are, it is almost as if President Asiwaju Tinubu has resolved that he will only be a one-term President,” Lukman said.
“Under his watch, the living conditions of Nigerians are continuously getting worse. Instead of making efforts to develop clear plans to address the situation, the government is becoming more intolerant to criticism.”
He added, “Any democracy that cannot accommodate criticism is no democracy. A democracy that subverts fair hearing is a dictatorship. A democracy that permits a ruling party to demobilize its organs and inadvertently expel its members is worse than a military government.”
Lukman concluded by calling for patriotic Nigerians to ensure the defeat of the APC in the 2027 elections if the party continues on its current path.
“So long as APC, its leadership, and Asiwaju Tinubu’s government have taken the self-destructive path, which is equivalent to a declaration of working to end their tenure in 2027, patriotic Nigerians must help them to ensure their defeat in 2027!”