PDP may defeat us being the ruling party — Lukman warns

Dr. Salihu Lukman

Former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has called on the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to remove every illusion that being a governing party would guarantee electoral victory in 2023.

Lukman stated this in a statement issued yesterday titled: ‘Success or Failure: APC and Campaign for 2023’, saying APC leaders must wake up to the reality of preparing for 2023 campaigns.

The APC chieftain said while the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are daily mobilising for 2023, APC leaders voices are low despite the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government and many of APC state governments.

He stressed that without good preparation, APC campaign for 2023 would be reactive and defensive.

According to Lukman, “Without doubt, preparing for 2023 electoral contests for APC, being the governing party, comes with a lot of challenges. As a party, APC must not put itself in a difficult position of campaigning based on propaganda, which in the end will seek to dismiss challenges facing the country and rationalise every action of governments controlled by the party.”

He was of the opinion that APC leaders must recognise challenges and objectively assess initiatives taken by the governments.

“Where there are manifest weaknesses recognise and accept shortcomings as reflection of commitment to remedy the situation. It is only when there is such commitment that party leaders would be able to win the confidence of Nigerians and to that extent win their support.

“Winning the support of Nigerians should be the orientation of APC campaign for 2023. APC leaders must remove every illusion that being a governing party will guarantee electoral victory. In fact, being a governing party comes with a high disadvantage because power is always unpopular,” Lukman added

The party chieftain said PDP leaders and their international sympathisers would continue to set the tune for the 2023 campaigns, which would continue to present APC and its government under the leadership of President Buhari as a failure.

Lukman pointed out that the narrative promoted by PDP and their supporters was that challenges of insecurity facing the country are a confirmation that President Buhari and APC have failed Nigerians.

He said citing campaign promises of APC in 2015, undertaking to end insecurity, fight corruption and build the economy, problems of insecurity in the country were being used to mobilise Nigerians against the APC to defeat the party in 2023 elections.

The APC chieftain also appealed to the leaders of APC, especially the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, to free the party from the current high level of uncertainty surrounding the February 26 national convention.

Lukman stated that: “We must appeal to APC leaders, especially the leadership of the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) under the leadership of Buni to free the party from the current high level of uncertainty surrounding the February 26, 2022 APC national convention.

“It is important that the convention is allowed to produce the needed excitement around all the contests at the convention. Being the national convention, it should be the highest opportunity to celebrate the party and begin to mobilise every party member to recommit themselves ahead of the 2023 electoral contests.”

Lukman said while Buhari was not in denial of Nigeria’s security challenges, acknowledging the challenges is indicative of the commitment of the APC leaders to end the problem of insecurity facing the country.