Lukman, voice of the voiceless

By Tom Okpe

Former Governor of Ekiti State and President, Nigeria Governors Forum, (NGF) Dr Kayode Fayemi has described Salihu Moh’ Lukman as voice of the voiceless, saying he remains the conscience of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) and Progressives politics in Nigeria.

He also said the party should not be a spectator in policy making, but, should project the manifesto of the party in policy making, for effective and efficient implementation by Government.

Fayemi stated these in his remarks at the public presentation of the book: ‘APC and Transition Politics,’ written by former National Vice Chairman, (North-West) of the party, Lukman in Abuja.

He said: “If there is anyone, to be described as the conscience of the APC and progressive politics in Nigeria today, is Salihu Mohammed Lukman.

“So our being present here is a token of paying homage to the ‘voice of the voiceless,’ and that individual, committed and be the voice in the wilderness that our party must be progressive.

“This party leader should be the one to give our President, Bola Ahmed, feedback from the communities and constituency out there not what he is hearing in the villa. All of us who hold public offices, know how it is.”

He said the author is committed to being the voice in the wilderness, that the party must be progressive, urging leaders at all levels to use the message to start rebuilding process of the party.

On the book, he said: “It should be a compulsory read for members of the National Working Committee, (NWC) of the party, at the National, State, Local Government and Ward Levels, so that we can begin the rebuilding process of this organic party, that the National Chairman, Dr Umar Ganduje is highly committed.”

In his remarks, former National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole urged Lukman to always seek internal ways of resolving party issues, offering advices and solutions, before going public.

The former Edo State Governor
noted that while he took the criticism of the author in good faith, as Chairman of the ruling party, however, faulted his failure to acknowledged the good works he did for the party by bankrolling the campaigns of all APC candidates, running into billions of Naira in the 2019 general elections.

“Chairman sir, if you have not faced it, you will face it. The only difference is that, if the President decided to intervene and moderate. In my case, we had a President who was not ready to intervene,” he said.

In his response, Lukman said one of the driving forces for him to write the book is to stimulate discussions within the party and hopefully, get party leaders to own it and maybe, mainstream it into the structures of the party.

“One of the things we were afraid of when planning the event, was a situation where we end up talking to ourselves.

“This indeed, reflected a lot in the presentations here, keeping tbe kind of image I know, I have acquired for myself, it will be difficult to have the confidence that leaders will be here.

“That Ganduje is now the National Chairman, including all that Comrade Oshiomole has reflected on, even after all I have canvassed publicly, it is a clear demonstration of the fact that this party, APC has a clear future.

“What is required is to try and give critical support to all our leaders so that they can revive structures of the party.

“Part of the issues we keep debating on, is the future of our children. Looking back to where we are coming from, we, (parents) had it better than what our children are having today.

“The whole concept of Progressive Governance or Progressive Politics is about making a better life. We will continue to write and we will take all advice given.

“We will remain who we are, and, will try to serve the party to the best of our knowledge,” he added.