ADC Becoming Party Of Only Candidates, Can’t Defeat APC Like This – Lukman

Former North-West Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Salihu Lukman, has warned that the ADC in Kaduna State cannot unseat the ruling APC in 2027 if internal divisions persist.

Lukman, in a statement issued on Wednesday, October 1, to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, expressed deep concern over the direction of the opposition in the state, accusing some leaders of prioritising control of party structures over genuine efforts to build a strong political alternative.

The former APC chieftain lamented that the ADC in Kaduna was tilting towards becoming a mere election vehicle rather than a truly inclusive political platform.

“Instead of working to build the party, we are setting ourselves to produce a party whose business will be limited to producing candidates for elections. People with no ambition to contest elections have become restless and want to dominate the process of developing the structures of the party to the exclusion of their opponents,” Lukman said.

He described the struggle for control as “madness,” warning that it posed the biggest threat to the party’s survival.

Lukman criticised some party leaders for allegedly aligning with ambitious candidates eyeing the 2027 elections rather than providing fair leadership for all members.

“If ADC is to emerge as a strong party capable of defeating the APC in Kaduna State, we must agree to work together. Anybody who is not ready to work as part of a united opposition in Kaduna State is consciously or unconsciously working for the APC,” he declared.

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He specifically appealed to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as well as Ja’afaru Sani and Bashir Sa’idu, to stop supporting tendencies that promote exclusion.

Lukman admitted that his own association with some party figures had led to perceptions that he was part of the problem, but stressed his personal commitment to unity.

“As a citizen from Kaduna State, I am willing to make every necessary sacrifice to move our state forward. I have no ambition to contest the election. Without sounding immodest, I made every sacrifice to contribute to forming the coalition and negotiating the agreement with ADC,” he explained.

The former APC vice chairman revealed that his recent alignment with Senator Musa Bello, who is accused of trying to dominate ADC structures in Zone 2, had strained his relationship with other leaders, such as Senator Lawal Adamu.

“Largely because I am, in recent times, associated with Senator Musa Bello, Sen. Lawal Adamu (Mr LA) has avoided all my requests to meet him,” Lukman admitted.

Reiterating his disappointment, Lukman said he had personally met with El-Rufai and Ja’afaru Sani over the matter but lamented the continued disunity.

“Sincerely, I am saddened by the fact that we are not united, and the perception is that I am part of the problem. May I therefore appeal to Malam Nasir El-Rufai and our leaders to please seek to unite all of us. It is only if we are united in ADC that we will be able to unite our people in the state to defeat the APC in 2027,” he stated.