APC would have been at mercy of cabals without Buhari the Director General, Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, Salihu Moh. Lukman has said.
Lukman attributed the level of internal democracy in the ruling All Progressives Congress APC to President Muhammadu Buhari’s political leadership style, without which he said the party would have been left at the mercy of cabals.
The Director General who disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while speaking about his upcoming book, “APC and Campaign for New Nigeria” said that, the president has ensured that every member of the party has a say in its affairs.
He said; “For APC to achieve the goal of producing a new Nigeria, it must be a party with a leadership that is united, disciplined, and respectful. Re-organising the structures of APC should make the party functionally active in facilitating negotiations among leaders at all levels and all agreements reached must be respected by all. It is the process of negotiating and implementing agreements reached, which should be respected by all that can produce a New Nigeria. The new Nigeria being envisioned therefore should be a liberal political environment, which should promote critical and selfless criticisms. In all of this, President Buhari’s leadership style, remains a source of inspiration, which encourages engagements with all APC leaders.” He noted.
Lukman further pointed out that, “take away President Buhari’s political leadership, the atmosphere in APC may be different and many of the perspectives being produced from within the party, may not have found expression or may have risked being condemned and individuals promoting them may have been restrained. Campaigning for New Nigeria cannot be achieved by only lamenting about any failing or rationalising why we have what exist today. Members of APC should be able to push the leaders of the party to respond to the reality facing the country and ensure that Nigerians appropriately take responsibility. Nigerians must engage the issues with all the confidence that political leaders, especially President Buhari will favourably consider these proposals and strengthen the capacity of the party and its governments to mobilise Nigerians”. He added.
The publication, APC and Campaign for New Nigeria is the fourth in the last two years aimed at critically evaluating political and governance initiatives in Nigeria under the APC led government of President Buhari.
Continuing, he said like previous three publications – Power of Possibility & Politics of Change in Nigeria, APC and Progressive Politics in Nigeria, APC’s Litmus Tests: Nigerian Democracy and Politics of Change – APC and Campaign for Nigeria is about engaging APC leaders to influence their political decisions in terms of the development of APC as a political party.
APC and Campaign for New Nigeria is part of the ongoing advocacy to support APC leaders with perspectives which highlight all the manifest challenges and what is required for the party to return to its founding vision of providing all the needed political leadership to change the country.