Jacinta Chisom OguadinmaSalihu Lukman, former vice chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North-west, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying it is unlike his record style of leadership as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.
In an open letter addressed to the northern political leaders, Lukman said that many, just like was done for former President Muhammadu Buahri in 2015, supported the emergence of Tinubu as President based on the believe in his competence given past records.
According to him, the massive support for Tinubu during the election was based on what he did in Lagos, such as being able to recruit a generation of successive visionary leaders for the State and putting in place the development blueprint that gave birth to modern the Lagos.
He said that unlike Tinubu’s performance in Lagos, there appears to be no signs of replicating that in his position as president.
“Remarkably, this is a complete contrast of the records of President Asiwaju Tinubu in Lagos State. Some of us who supported the emergence of President Asiwaju Tinubu did so with reference to what he did in Lagos, notably being able to recruit generation of successive visionary leaders for the State and putting in place the development blueprint that gave birth to modern Lagos State.
“So far, the Lagos reality is no where near what is emerging under the Asiwaju Presidency. Given the absence of any plan, governance by impulse seems to be the order with wide range of speculations all over the political landscape,” Lukman stated.
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He accused President Tinubu of marginalising the North-central geo-political zone in terms of access to leadership position, particularly the ruling APC.
Lukman said Tinubu imposed Abdullahi Ganduje on APC as national chairman. According him, the slot should have gone to North-central instead of North-west.
The Kaduna based politician and activist, lamented that the northern region has never been disunited without any semblance of political leadership like they have in today’s Nigeria and on account of lack of unity, the quality of political leadership in the North is sharply on the decline.
“Many so-called politicians are Internally Displaced Persons/Politicians (IDPs), especially once they are out of office. Those in office today are potential IDPs, the worst among us, with hardly any commitment to resolving the challenges facing the North, find their way to political leadership in the North simply because they can cheaply access elective and appointive offices and control public resources, which is largely mismanaged and privatised.
“In addition to marginalising the people of North-Central, he imposed Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje from North-West as National Chairman of APC, which is the ruling party. Out of all the political leaders of North-West, he finds no one who is better qualified but Dr. Ganduje with all the baggage of corruption allegations and poor political relations with other leaders in Kano State, including the Kano State Government. Partly, because of the poor relations between Dr. Ganduje and Kano State Government, the revered Kano Emirate Council has been plunged into avoidable crisis with no end in sight and President Asiwaju Tinubu is pretending to be uninterested.”
He further stated that the level of poverty, unemployment, and inequality in northern Nigeria are beyond description, adding that it is like an explosive waiting to explode if nothing is done to address the situation.
“Above all, it has become an explosive in the whole North waiting to explode. If care is not taken, like the problem of insecurity, the explosive in the North, which is largely a product of hunger, unemployment and collapse of economic activities may spread to other parts of the country. It will be tragic if that is allowed to happen.”
He also noted that while Nigerians expect democracy to perform miracles, political leaders are not willing to take the needed responsibility to start organising the new frontier of political organisation, which can hold elected leaders accountable based on which they are able to respond to societal and national challenges. “Democracy will continue to produce emperors and overloads and our challenges will continue to get worse. Worsening situation will continue to spread across every part of the country.”
He noted that security crisis in the country was predominantly in the North-east and some parts of North-west in 201, but today, it has spread to the entire 19 Northern States, Southeast, and parts of South-west.
READ ALSO: Explosive North: Open Letter To Northern Politicians
He said political leaders must be made to understand that things are getting out of hand and should retrace their steps.
On way forward, Lukman stated that “The mistake of the past, especially with reference to former President Buhari and now President Asiwaju Tinubu whereby frontiers of political organisation was development based on individual ambition to contest election must be avoided.
“Developing frontiers of political organisations based on the ambitions of former President Buhari and President Asiwaju Tinubu has only produced the current monstrous reality of electing emperors and overloads who are succeeding in disintegrating the foundation of Nigerian democracy.
“We need to caution political leaders in the country that things are about to get out of hand any moment from now especially in the North. If care is not taken, hungry people who are everywhere in the North will start breaking into homes and looting properties of innocent citizens.
“The truth is that Northern politicians are the problem of the North and by extension the country. Certainly, Northern politicians hold the remote control for the explosive in the region.”
He prayed that God would touch the hearts of all the political leaders and as well strengthen the capacity, drive and wisdom of patriotic Nigerians to unite and develop the vanguard for the formation of the new frontiers of political organisation to reform the country.
