Aformer member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party in Nigeria, All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Moh. Lukman, has called on the party’s leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, to intervene in the political dispute between two former governors of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Lukman urged the leaders to revisit the issues that led to their disagreement and find a way to resolve the rift.
He said would be an opportunity to renew APC in Kano state and by extension northwest and the entire north.
Lukman’s position which was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, April 16, also advised the leadership of the party not to limit the engagement of issues surrounding all the political challenges facing APC as a party to only the issue of bribery allegation against Ganduje.
He said: “Being progressives requires honesty, which given the current political reality, we must accept that Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his NNPP have a stronger support base in Kano state. Noting that Sen. Kwankwaso was in our party up to 2018; and acknowledging that between 1999 and 2019 both Sen. Kwankwaso and Dr. Ganduje worked together, we need to revisit issues surrounding their disagreement.
“On no account should APC leaders limit the engagement of issues surrounding all the political challenges facing us as a party to only the issue of bribery allegation against Dr. Ganduje.
“If this means another round of negotiation for political alliance or a merger with Sen. Kwankwaso and NNPP, our leaders should proceed to act accordingly. President Tinubu and the APC must take full advantage of the current reality to renegotiate the support base of the APC.
“Renegotiating the support base of the APC should also be about reigniting the progressive credentials of the APC.”
The former Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), however, noted: “It is very painfully disturbing that unless this kind of opportunity is utilised to the fullest, based on which new actors such as Dr. Kwankwaso with a strong commitment to democracy based on principles are recruited into our party, the downward slide and retrogression towards conservatism and lawless management of the APC will continue.”
On allegations of corrupt charges against the party’s national chairman, Lukman said: “Without doubt, this situation presents an opportunity for President Tinubu to demonstrate his progressive and political dexterity. It is a low-hanging fruit, which, if properly managed could also save the politics of Dr. Ganduje.
“The hard truth is that, somehow, the politics of Kano state was mismanaged and as it is, if we were unable to win the election in Kano state when we were in control of the Kano state government, it would be foolhardy to imagine otherwise.
“APC leaders must be reminded that one of the promises in 2015 based on which Nigerians supported us and gave us the mandate to rule the country for the last nine years was the commitment to fight corruption. If there is any instance requiring us, as a party, to renew our commitment to fighting corruption, this is it. We must appeal to especially President Tinubu and all APC leaders not to consent to any action other than supporting Dr. Ganduje to take advantage of the current reality to clear his name.
[TheNation]