National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohd. Lukman, has cautioned the governors of the party against a move to throw up the former Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as National Chairman of the party.
Lukman who was reacting to speculations that Ganduje may have been slated to take over from Senator Abdullahi Adamu who resigned on Sunday in a statement on Thursday in Abuja described such consideration as “unjust, insensitive and suicidal”.
The former Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) argued that if the speculation emerging from the APC governors was true, it will completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the present configuration of the leadership of the National Assembly.
Lukman maintained that any attempt to deny the North Central geopolitical zone the party’s National Chairmanship position will not only be unjust but a political suicide move.
The Zaria-born politician noted that the primary motive of the struggle to get the former National chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the former Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore out of office was to restore constitutional order in APC by complying with extant provisions of the party’s constitution.
Lukman said,
“Already, part of the speculations emerging from the Governor’s bloc is that Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is being considered to succeed Sen. Abdullahi Adamu. If this is true, it only suggests insensitivity and taking members of the party for granted.
“This is without prejudice to the person of Dr. Ganduje. This is because such a choice will completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the present configuration of the leadership of the National Assembly.
“With the Speaker of House of Representatives and Deputy Senate President coming from North West and North Central shut out of consideration, to propose the party’s National Chairman to move to North West from North Central will be unjust and almost a political suicide.”
He added,
“We must caution our Governors that since the emergence of APC, Governors have served almost as the conscience of the party.
“Any consideration for such an insensitive and unjust consideration of Dr Ganduje to become the National Chairman of APC must be discarded. If anything, the position of National Chairman of the APC must be retained in North Central.”
Lukman also challenged the NWC to take charge and guide the unfolding negotiations.
He argued that part of the challenge of managing the current transition within the party is getting the NWC to properly take the driving seat in managing and facilitating negotiations to produce and engage leaders of the party.
He insisted that no single power bloc should be allowed to appropriate the process.
“This is where the intervention of the President, being the leader of the party would be required to moderate the excessive conduct of any power bloc, especially when such conduct risks further damaging the prospect of returning the APC to its founding vision.
“At these early stages of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership of the party, he needs to make that strong intervention to guide the process of restoring constitutional order and returning the APC to its founding vision of progressive politics.
“Progressive politics must be about inclusion and justice and not some blind and insensitive considerations.”
The zonal Chairman then cautioned against being carried away by the exit of Adamu and Omisore from office, stressing that the panacea to peace in the party is to restore constitutional order by allowing statutory organs of the party to function.
“It is, therefore, necessary that at this very early stage of negotiating new leadership for the APC, we caution all our leaders that the only way we can justify the exit of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. Iyiola Omisore from the leadership of the APC is by demonstrating a commitment to restore constitutional order in APC and return the party to its founding vision of being a progressive party.
“These are issues that would appear to be taken for granted and if not engaged could be abused by power blocs within the party, which could lead to the emergence of leaders that are worse than Sen. Adamu and Sen. Omisore. This must be avoided.
“First, restoring constitutional order in APC is basically about complying with extant provisions of the party’s constitution.
“A situation whereby the National Chairman usurped powers of National Working Committee (NWC) and all organs of the party is unacceptable. (sic)
“All organs of the party, namely, National Advisory Council (NAC), National Caucus, National Executive Committee (NEC), etc. must be allowed to function by provisions of the party’s constitution.
“The irresponsible culture of asking organs of the party to donate their powers to the NWC, which empowers the National Chairman to convert all the resources of the party to personal use must end.
“Inability to allow organs to function will block any attempt to return the party to its founding vision of becoming a progressive party”.
