Salihu Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), expressed concern over the worsening state of governance in the country, noting that each successive administration has been progressively worse than the one before it.
He pointed out that while President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was more problematic than President Goodluck Jonathan’s, it is disheartening to see President Bola Tinubu’s government on course to being even worse than Buhari’s.
Lukman also lamented the lack of organized efforts or discussions among key opposition figures, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), regarding the 2027 elections.
He said, “It is not enough to complain that President Asiwaju Tinubu is bad without corresponding initiative to ensure that 2027 results in the defeat of APC at all levels. If APC is defeated in 2027, what is the guarantee that the new government to emerge post President Asiwaju Tinubu will not be worse?
“As Nigerians, we are witnesses of how governments at all levels progressively become worse. With all the confidence many of us had in former President Muhammadu Buhari, arguably his performance failed to meet public expectations, perhaps worse than former President Goodluck Jonathan. Certainly, President Asiwaju Tinubu is on track of becoming worse than former President Buhari”, he stated.
Lukman emphasized the urgency of alerting opposition political leaders that their current indifferent and lackadaisical attitude could lead to a disastrous scenario where Nigerians might be unable to unseat President Tinubu in 2027.
He noted that although these leaders share concerns about the worsening state of the country, there has been little to no meaningful effort aimed at mobilizing Nigerians with the clear goal of bringing about change in the 2027 elections.
Lukman said, “Acknowledging that there are isolated ongoing discussions about what needs to be done in 2027, it is very worrisome that those discussions are yet to graduate to structured political engagements on the platforms of any of the existing opposition political parties.
“Unfortunately, if anything, it is almost a case that all the existing registered political parties are decidedly in support of President Tinubu and to that extent therefore working covertly for his second term victory in 2027. So far, arguably, none of the parties, which ordinarily should be leading the opposition to President Tinubu’s government is making any effort to recruit and unite opposition political leaders in the country. Instead, all the leading opposition political parties are embroiled in some embarrassing internal crisis, which has pitched leaders of the parties against each other.
“It is quite appalling, for instance, that PDP leaders are antagonistic to Alh. Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi is in the midst of a helpless survival leadership battle in LP and Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is oversighting a directionless NNPP whose roof is being torn apart by no other than its own so-called leaders. And all the other parties, including SDP and PRP have adopted a monarchical behaviour, sitting in their comfort zones waiting for disgruntled and aggrieved opposition political leaders to come to them for some ‘royal’ covers. Perhaps, it could also be a case of waiting to harvest good political businesses through dealmaking in 2027, which is the standard political practice in Nigeria since the commencement of the current Fourth Republic.
“All these have contributed to embolden President Asiwaju Tinubu and his APC. Insensitive and reckless decisions, which further worsen citizens’ conditions of living are being taken on daily basis. On a scale never imagined in the country, Nigerians across all divides are living in agony on account of harsh living realities created by avoidable circumstances due to reckless policy decisions of the government. And with hardly any sense of humility or remorse, President Tinubu and people in government audaciously continue to ask Nigerians to be patient while the government continues to indulge in some illogical luxurious public expenditure without recourse to due processes. Yet, all that opposition leaders could do is to issue individual press statements. This is quite unacceptable.”