APC: Scheming for 2023 not responsible for crisis in our party – DG PGF

The Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman has allayed fears being expressed in some quarters that unrest in the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) recently aggravated by unending leadership crisis is being fueled by scheming by gladiators aspiring for positions ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Rather, he blamed the devastating crisis on actions and inactions of some leadership figures who have allowed placed self interests above that of the party.

He knocked certain personalities who have personalised a critical party organ such as the National Working Committee (NEC) and uses it to suppress the functionality of other organs, particularly, the National Executive Committee (NEC), to the detriment of the party.

In a personal statement issued Sunday in Abuja, Lukman did not mince words in accusing the NWC of ‘power drunk’ and blaming if for its inability to convene important party meetings such as that of NEC.

Advancing reasons why SPC leadetship crisis shoyld not be linked with 2023 politics, Lukman said, “as Nigerians, we have the constitutional right to freely express ourselves, and by extension, also have expectations that should guide who gets elected.

Does that explain the leadership crisis in APC and to what extent does that confirm or otherwise the allegations that those who are against Comrade Oshiomhole are doing it for 2023?

“Inability to manage disagreements and resolve conflicts bordering on leadership disputes is at the centre of the crisis in APC. Unfortunately, these are not the issues being debated. What is being debated is about the personalities in the conflict and who is supporting who. It is not about the details of the disagreements.

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“We may succeed to come to agreement about who should occupy the positions, but will that prevent a situation whereby organs of the party will not meet such that vacancies will emerge and proper processes of refilling the vacancies will not be followed?

“Partly, to blackmail those of criticising Comrade Oshiomhole, all those alleged to have been opposed to him are being accused of nursing or supporting ambition for 2023.

False as it is, to avoid falling into the pit being dug to produce intolerant leaders, party leaders and members should not be defensive about their positions.

“They should be able to ask, since Comrade Oshiomhole is a threat to the ambition of those opposed to him, it means that there is someone he supports. Who is that person and what does that person represent?

Is Comrade Oshiomhole’s leadership attributes representative of the orientation of the person Comrade Oshiomhole is supporting?

“We must not allow the debate to be reduced to a simple strategy to conquer and subjugate opponents. The danger here is not that Comrade Oshiomhole may succeed in defeating his opponents, but that if it is part of the strategy to promote a particular person to emerge as President Buhari’s successor in 2023,

for instance, based on Comrade Oshiomhole’s style of leadership, it then means that there is a very high possibility that such a post-President Buhari successor will be closer, if not worse than, President Obasanjo’s model of garrison leadership. Is that the type of President we want?”.

Lukman, who said, his positions on party issues are basically personal and nit holding brief for anybody, debunked the insinuation that he is doing the biddings of certain forces within APC.

Stating that no one was using him to fight any cause, Lukman said political debates are now reduced to propaganda partly because Nigerians take leadership for granted and expect that people working with leaders must always demonstrate agreement.

“Once that is the case, leaders limit themselves to recruiting sycophants to work with them”, he said.