“Don’t Pit Generals Against Tinubu” – Arewa Think Tank Warns Lukeman

By Adesina Soyooye

A Northern group, Arewa Think Tank, ATT,  has accused Salihu Lukman of trying to pitch very influential retired Military Generals against President Bola Tinubu.

Lukman was the National Vice Chairman, North-west of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, before he quit the Party.

The Military Generals being referred to are Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Aliyu Gusau.

All the retired Generals, were former Military Heads of State, except Gusau, who was a former Chief of Army Staff, former National Security Adviser and former Minister for Defence. In addition to Obasanjo’s status as a former Military Head of State, he was also Nigeria’s elected President for eight  years. The four men are referred to, loosely,  by not a few people as the “owners of Nigeria”.

A few days ago, they met in Minna at  Babangida’s residence. They issued no statement. But within 24 hours, speculations emerged that their deliberation centered on the 2027 Presidential Election which is about three years away; that they were considering between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and his Labour Party, LP, counterpart, Peter Obi, who to choose as Tinubu’s replacement.

But nothing confirmed what their deliberation centred on than the surprising strong opinion by Abubakar two days ago.

Receiving a group who visited him in his Minna residence, Abubakar who hardly talks publicly, offered that the suffering  in the land has become unbearable. The interpretation given to that by some people is that something could give if care is not taken, especially, as Abubakar also endorsed none violent peaceful protest.

It is on the heels of all that that Lukman, who has become a strong critic of the Tinubu administration, weighed in.

He posited that the absence of Obasanjo and Babangida from the last Council of State Meeting, held on August, 13, may not have been coincidental. He implied that it was their answer to the difficult state of the nation.

What to do? Lukman invited the former Heads of State to use their influence, weigh in on the current difficult challenges, and reinvigorate democracy. He asked them to strategise against the APC in 2027.

But the Arewa Think Tank has taken unkindly to Lukman’s stand. The group saw it as pitting the Generals against Tinubu in 2027. It, therefore, warned him to refrain from such disposition seen as capable of affecting Tinubu’s chances in 2027 negatively.

Said the ATT: “We should preserve the integrity of our elder statesmen.

“The former Heads of State, Generals Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, are revered leaders. If they have any advice for Mr. President, they can reach out to him directly. It is wrong for Lukman to suggest they should take any action against President Tinubu.

“Lukman should not heat up the polity. He should wait until 2027, when he can freely campaign. But dragging the names of these retired Generals into political mudslinging is unacceptable.”