Lukman warns against imposition of next APC chairman, says it’s turn of north-central

Salihu Lukman, vice-chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, says due process must be followed in the election of a new chairman of the party.

Following the ouster of Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman of the APC, Abubakar Kyari, deputy national chairman (north), has been occupying the office in an acting capacity.

Abdullahi Ganduje, immediate-past governor of Kano, is said to be considered for the position – and that has been greeted with resentment in some quarters of the party.

In a statement on Sunday, Lukman said no member of the party should be allowed to “entrench arbitrariness” in the process of determining who becomes the APC chairman.

“A situation whereby President Asiwaju Tinubu and progressive governors are being alleged to have decided on Dr Ganduje as the next national chairman of APC without consulting other power blocs in the party and without meeting any of the organs of the party, including the NWC, is very risky and potentially damaging to President Asiwaju Tinubu and the party,” he said.

“If this is associated with a president who comes from a military background, it will be understandable. But to be associated with President Asiwaju Tinubu whose background is outrightly civilian having led the struggle for democracy in Nigeria for almost four decades, it will be highly unimaginable.

“We must therefore appeal to all those sponsoring this campaign to nominate Dr Ganduje for the position of APC national chairman, especially his excellency, Hope Uzodimma, chairman, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) to come to order and allow due process within the party to take its rightful course in the selection process of who becomes the next APC national chairman.

“Nobody, including the PGF, should be allowed to seek to entrench arbitrariness and injustice in the determination of who emerges as the next national chairman of APC.

“We must remind everyone, including President Asiwaju Tinubu that so far, the agreed zoning formula in APC has given the position of national chairman of the party to north-central.

“Therefore, the relevant section of the APC constitution with respect to filling vacancies should be respected.”