Salihu Lukman, the immediate past National Vice Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Northwest Nigeria, has expressed concern over the lack of functional political parties in the country's electoral democracy, warning that this development poses significant risks for the populace.
In a statement on Monday, Lukman lamented the widespread belief among citizens that it is nearly impossible to produce leaders capable of rescuing Nigeria from its current challenges. He noted that this sentiment is further reinforced by the fact that the current opposition leaders are part of the political establishment that has contributed to the nation's state of despair.
"Admittedly, while former President Goodluck Jonathan faced criticism, former President Buhari has proven to be worse, failing to meet the expectations of Nigerians. Now, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appears to be exacerbating these issues. Within less than two years, President Tinubu has made life increasingly unbearable for Nigerians in a way not seen in the country's history," he stated.
Lukman added that President Tinubu has also created a political paradox by being an elected leader who has weakened the structures of his own party. Under his leadership, all political parties have similarly been undermined, leading to a situation where Nigeria is described as a democracy lacking functional political parties.
He emphasized that the campaign to rescue Nigeria should not be based solely on the desire to defeat the APC and President Tinubu in the 2027 elections. Instead, it should focus on a well-thought-out vision for advancing the nation.
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Lukman cautioned that if the goal is merely to establish a new party that produces candidates for various offices--from President to local assembly--Nigerians risk ending up with an opposition that is weak and indistinguishable from the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and other current parties.
He stressed the necessity for opposition political leaders to demonstrate a strong commitment to breaking free from destructive practices that reduce political parties to mere platforms for electoral contests.
"The best way to do this is to ensure that the leaders of the new opposition party are genuine members of the opposition, not mere surrogates. This would require that key figures, such as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, serve in critical leadership roles, such as National Chairman and National Secretary. Additionally, alienated leaders from the APC, including Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, should also be involved in building the new political opposition party.
"The leadership profile of the new opposition party will indicate whether the agenda for rescuing Nigeria is limited to merely winning elections or is accompanied by a genuine commitment to establish a strong party capable of holding elected representatives accountable. If the leadership excludes frontline opposition figures, it merely signals a continuation of the status quo. This was evident with the APC, where critical issues related to party funding remain ad hoc to this day," he stated.
