Salihu Lukman, former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Northwest, has urged former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, alongside retired General Aliyu Gusau, to devise new strategies to challenge the APC in the upcoming 2027 elections. Lukman expressed his concern over Nigeria’s current political state, describing it as an “existential crisis” and asserting that the country’s democracy is on life support.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Lukman responded to reports of a meeting held in Minna, Niger State, on Sunday, involving Obasanjo, Babangida, and Gusau. Lukman questioned whether their absence from the recent National Council of State meeting, which passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, indicated disapproval of the president’s leadership.
Lukman argued that the nation’s current challenges could be traced back to policies from previous administrations, including Obasanjo’s erosion of political competition and Babangida’s implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). Despite these past actions, Lukman believes the trio holds a responsibility to lead Nigeria out of its current democratic crisis.
He stated, “These leaders owe it to the nation to take Nigerian democracy out of the ICU. This requires not just endorsing a candidate but building a strong political party with robust internal competition, accountability, and leadership that mirrors the profile of the country’s elected leaders.”
Lukman also accused President Tinubu of being inaccessible to the public, drawing a controversial comparison to late military leader General Sani Abacha. He criticized the government’s handling of insecurity and abandonment of key projects, such as the Kaduna-Abuja road, while launching costly new initiatives without proper budgetary provisions.
Lukman’s statement reflects growing internal and external dissatisfaction with the current administration as the country moves toward the 2027 elections.
