Kehinde Fajobi
Former APC National Vice Chairman Salihu Moh. Lukman has revealed that opposition leaders, including some disenchanted members of the ruling party, have begun negotiations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a New Year message released in Abuja on Thursday, Lukman criticised the prevailing political culture, noting that most Nigerian politicians are driven by personal ambitions rather than a commitment to competitive democracy.
“While acknowledging that opposition political leaders, including alienated APC leaders, have commenced negotiations towards producing an alternative political platform, it must also be recognised that most Nigerian politicians are not disposed to competitive political culture,” he said.
He attributed this issue to a “default mindset” centred on imposing candidates and manipulating processes to achieve personal ambitions.
“This must stop,” he emphasised. “Opposition political leaders should commit themselves to allowing political competition as the basis for the emergence of leaders at all levels.”
Lukman, who once served as Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), added that the opposition’s tendency to impose leaders mirrors the challenges plaguing the country’s political system.
“To Nigerians, we need to all wake up and seek to take our destiny into our own hands,” he urged, adding that politicians derive their influence from the passivity of ordinary citizens.
He warned that the lack of political engagement by citizens risks perpetuating poor leadership and societal misery.