Salihu Lukman, national vice chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has resigned from office.
In letter addressed to the Acting National Chairman of the party, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Lukman said the current posturing of leaders of the party, including President Bola Tinubu, is at variance with his own core values.
Although his resignation appeared to be voluntary, this newspaper gathered that it may not be unconnected with his protest against the reported endorsement of the immediate-past Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, as the next national chairman of the party, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and governors on the party’s platform.
Lukman’s letter of resignation 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 becomes 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 becoming 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 Asiwaju 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 Asiwaju Bold Ahmed Tinubu all the best and will continue to give my modest support towards the success of the party from the background.”
