A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Salihu Lukman, has warned former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
He cautioned that exiting the ADC “will simply diminish you as someone who is self-centered” and inconsiderate of the harsh realities facing Nigerians.
Lukman disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
He said he was troubled to see leaders with the potential to provide selfless service to Nigerians becoming consumed by personal ambition.
“You can’t run away from yourself,” Lukman said, addressing Kwankwaso, as he questioned how, in less than six weeks of joining the ADC, Kwankwaso could be considering defecting to another party or aligning elsewhere. “What has changed that wasn’t there before you joined?” he asked.
He added, “I am asking these questions almost as an academic exercise, knowing fully well you have already made up your mind. But for the purpose of clarity, I will highlight that there is nothing in ADC today that is unique to ADC.
“Having been privileged to be at the centre of the negotiations that produced the coalition, it is important to highlight some of the factors that were considered leading to what we have today. The first issue is that unity of all opposition leaders under one political platform is a critical success factor for electoral victory. APC won the 2023 election marginally because the opposition was divided.
“The second point was the recognition that the main opposition parties during the 2023 elections were destabilised, and they are still destabilised. PDP, LP, and NNPP were all factionalised by APC-sponsored agents. Our assessment indicated the need to work towards producing an alternative platform. It was based on these assessments that we commenced consultations among opposition leaders in the country as far back as 2024.
“I recall that around June 2024, on your initiative, I had the honour of meeting you and discussing this challenge. During our meeting, you fully agreed with the assessment of the danger facing opposition political parties. Although you agreed that opposition leaders must unite, you expressed the need to slow down and wait until 2026, which may have influenced the timing of your eventual decision to join the coalition and the ADC.
“Shortly after meeting you, I also had the honour of meeting Mr Peter Obi, who agreed that opposition leaders must unite ahead of 2027. In his case, he was emphatic on the role of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in achieving such unity.
“On his insistence, I contacted Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and travelled to Morocco to meet him in July 2024. Like you and Mr Obi, he also agreed that opposition leaders must unite ahead of 2027. Although he complained of being betrayed by many opposition leaders, he affirmed his commitment to be part of such a coalition and requested a roadmap.”
Lukman also faulted the argument associated with Peter Obi that, in the event of a primary election in the ADC, it would be impossible to defeat Atiku Abubakar.
“Some of the assumptions, which are more associated with indirect primaries, are that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will bribe his way to win the primary, which is quite unfair,” he said.
He added that, given Kwankwaso’s age, he should be more focused on building a lasting political legacy rather than pursuing personal ambition.
“Given that you are 69 years old and will be 70 by October, one would expect that your preoccupation at this point is to ensure that you leave a positive political legacy beyond achieving your personal ambition to rule Nigeria. One of such legacies will be how those of you with leadership responsibility can facilitate a new political orientation of collective leadership in the country,” he said.
DAILY POST recalls that Peter Obi on Sunday announced his defection from the ADC.
Earlier, Kwankwaso had told his supporters to dump the ADC.
