Former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Malam Salihu Lukman has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop behaving like a philosopher king over issues of governance of the country.
Lukman in a piece yesterday titled, ‘Beyond Taking Responsibility’, accused President Tinubu of unilaterally taking decisions without the input of organs of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The immediate past national vice chairman North West of the APC cited the issue of removal of subsidy on petroleum products, floating the exchange rate of the naira, sanction against Niger Republic following the coup of July 26, 2023 and the implementation of the Steve Oronsaye report as decisions unilaterally taken by Tinubu without the input of the party.
Lukman claimed that under President Tinubu, issues of inclusivity are now in reverse gear as Nigerians are told to take every decision made by the government even when faced with grave consequences.
The Kaduna-born politician argued that the development runs contrary to the progressive ideal of the APC. He noted: “Without any hesitation, one can argue that at the rate we are going, our party, APC, and our leaders have shortchanged Nigerians. What Nigerians are having today wasn’t what was promised at all. The most disturbing reality is that given that the current economic hardship is produced during the first term of President Asiwaju Tinubu, with no end in sight; does it then mean that President Asiwaju Tinubu is not interested in second term? Certainly not!
“If he is interested in a second term, why is he managing the affairs of government like a military dictator, shutting down the structures of the party and talking down on citizens like a philosopher king who has absolute knowledge of what will produce possible happiness for citizens?
“Unless the objective is to secure a second term by other means and not the votes of electorate, there cannot be any logical reasoning. Could that be the reason for the new found love with some identified political mercenaries who were strongly opposed to the election of President Asiwaju Tinubu?
“How successful could they be? If military governments with all their recruited mercenaries could fail to guarantee their survival, how could anyone imagine that mercenaries could win a second term for President Asiwaju? It is so painful that party members have been denied access to meeting President Asiwaju Tinubu but some shylock political mercenaries have now become the faces and promoters of our so-called progressive government.
“Where are our founding leaders who negotiated the formation of the APC? What exactly do our founding leaders want to leave behind as their political legacy? Is it that they have also resigned and accepted that the whole APC project is limited to making it possible for former President Buhari and President Asiwaju Tinubu to become President?
“In that case, why should Nigerians trust any political leader in future when they come with proposals for mergers or even political alliances? Certainly, once leaders cannot function within structures of political parties, such that leaders only operate based on omnipotent status, no matter how loosely defined, commitment of leaders to democratic development of Nigeria will be weak.
“As it is, the commitment of President Asiwaju to democratic development of Nigeria is increasingly being withdrawn. And so long as he continues to manage his government without allowing structures of the APC to operate and through that contribute to the decisions of government, President Asiwaju Tinubu, just like former President Buhari’s government, will risk being on the path of continuous betrayal of expectations of Nigerians. Worst still, being a government that detests inclusivity, it will be anything but progressive.”
Lukman expressed hope that President Tinubu would recover his democratic credentials and reactivate his progressive politics before it is too late.
He stressed that as long as he continues to operate a closed government in which party leaders and members are unable to access him, he would continue to miss the golden opportunity God has given him to put Nigeria on the path of sustained democratic development.
“No amount of mercenary propaganda will change that. May Allah (SWT) give him and all our leaders the necessary guide to return to the path of democratic and progressive politics. Amin!” he prayed.
