How Tinubu’s Decisions Are Hurting Nigeria: An Open Letter from APC Chieftain

Ilesanmi AdekanbiAugust 15, 2023

2 minutes read

A former National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has expressed his dissatisfaction with some of the decisions taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

In an open letter addressed to the President and titled, “Disturbing Signals: Open Letter to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu” on Monday in Abuja, Lukman accused Tinubu of imposing a Muslim-Muslim leadership on the party and neglecting the interests of other regions and religions in the country.

He cited the endorsement of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Ajibola Bashiru, both Muslims, as the APC’s national chairman and secretary respectively, as a disturbing signal that could generate tension and resentment among party members and Nigerians at large.

He noted that while Bashiru from Osun State had replaced Iyiola Omisore who resigned as national secretary from the same state, Tinubu had not allowed a former governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura who is also loyal to him or any other APC stalwart from Nasarawa State to replace Adamu who resigned as national chairman but preferred endorsing another Muslim-Muslim “ticket.”

The former APC vice chairman also questioned the criteria used in the appointment of ministers, saying that they did not reflect the diversity and competence of Nigerians.

He said that with the current exchange rate (dollar to naira), fuel pump price and other economic challenges facing the country, Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda might not be realized.

The letter reads in part, “Your Excellency, I am compelled to write this open letter to you because there are disturbing signals, which if not addressed could create bigger problems and damage our electoral viability as a party.

“Without doubting your authority and commitment to the wellbeing of Nigeria as a nation, within the short period since May 29, 2023 when you assumed office, there are decisions you took, which are very worrisome to many of us who are loyal party members.

“Rather than proving that we only used the Muslim-Muslim ticket as an electoral strategy, in a very insensitive manner we repeated another Muslim-Muslim scenario in the party with national chairman and national secretary both Muslims.

“And we want to claim we are a progressive party? What is the nature of our progressive politics? Certainly, not the one which Nigerians expect, which endeared us to citizens on account of which Nigerians gave us the mandate to manage the affairs of government since 2015. As it is, both as party members and as Nigerians, our expectation from your government has plummeted.”