Lukman: Tinubu will be defeated in 2027 — Nigerians don’t need emperors

Salihu Lukman, a former vice-chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, says President Bola Tinubu will be defeated in 2027.

Lukman said this on Wednesday night when he appeared on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television — days after the ruling party said he has a history of “opportunistic politicking”.

Tinubu is yet to indicate interest in seeking re-election in 2027.

During the programme, the former director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) said Tinubu would be removed from office the same way Nigerians were able to get the military out of power.

“I guarantee you and I am confident… the same way we were able to get the military out of power, we are going to correct the current mess,” Lukman said.

“We are going to get to a situation where we have a functional political party, and APC and President Asiwaju will be defeated in 2027, and we will produce leaders that will be servants to citizens, not leaders that are emperors.”

Lukman said in the buildup to the 2015 elections, APC promised to curb insecurity which has exacerbated.

“The issue of insecurity at that time was Boko Haram. It didn’t degenerate to banditry like we are having it today. Of course there was cattle rustling in north-west and north-central, but it didn’t graduate to banditry like this,” he said.

“From 2015 till now, insecurity has taken over north-west, north-central and is heading south.

“My honest assessment is that things have gotten worse. I wish security agencies could release statistics of how many people have been killed or kidnapped.

“In the area of security, we have gotten worse.”

The former PGF DG said despite the issues plaguing the opposition parties, there is a need for them “to come together and respond to the challenge”.