By Gideon Njoku
The crisis rocking the National Leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, which resulted in the forceful resignation of the National Chairman and National Secretary, Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore, respectively, has continued to escalate.
On Wednesday, the usually blunt National Deputy Chairman, North-West, Salihu Lukman, resigned.
In his resignation letter addressed to the Acting National Chairman, Senator Abba Kyari, Lukman said he could no longer cope with what is going on in the Party, orchestrated by some people, including President Bola Tinubu, who is the Leader of the Party.
He said: “Rather than remaining in the leadership of the Party and become a source of distraction for Leaders, and especially, for the young Government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is better to excuse myself and take time off from Politics.”
Lukman, however, said he would retain his membership of the Party, “in the hope that our leaders, especially, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will retract from acts that will be unjust and illegal, which is crucial to any claim of being democratic or progressive whether as politicians or as patriotic Nigerians.
The full text of Lukman’s resignation letter reads:
“I hereby, kindly, resign my position as National Vice Chairman, North-West, of our great party, All Progressives Congress, APC. My resignation is with immediate effect, which become necessary given my conviction that the atmosphere in the Party is completely at variance with the founding vision of forming a progressive party.
“Rather than remaining in the leadership of the Party and become a source of distraction for leaders and especially, for the young Government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is better to excuse myself, and take time off from politics.
“I will, however, retain my membership of the party in the hope that our leaders, especially, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will retract from acts that will be unjust and illegal which is crucial to any claim of being democratic or progressive, whether as politicians or as patriotic Nigerians.
“I wish to convey my sincere gratitude to our leaders in Kaduna, especially, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, for finding me worthy of nomination to serve at the highest level of the Party’s leadership. I do hope all our leaders will appreciate that I am left with no option in the circumstance.
“I wish the Party and all our leaders, especially, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, all the best, and will continue to give my modest support towards the success of the Party from the background.”
Lukman was in the forefront of those who put pressure on Senators Adamu and Omisore to resign as National Chairman and National Secretary, respectively. He accused Adamu, in particular, of incompetence and alleged corruption.
A few days ago, he had, in a statement, disagreed with President Tinubu, in his alleged choice of the immediate past Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, as the replacement for Adamu. Lukman described it as a disruption of the zoning arrangement in the APC, and dismissed such choice as unfair and unjust to the North-Central.
The speculation is still very strong that Ganduje is Tinubu’s choice for the office of the APC National Chairman. Many believe that choice is the main reason for the resignation of Lukman as a National Officer.
