Salihu Lukman Criticizes APC, Claims No Difference from PDP

Former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has stated that there is no discernible difference between the ruling APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Speaking on Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics,” monitored by media outlets, Lukman criticized the APC for becoming worse than the PDP it sought to replace.

Lukman highlighted that the PDP had devolved into a one-man show, abandoning internal democracy and imposing candidates on the electorate.

He stressed that this was the impetus behind the formation of the APC through the merger of opposition parties to rectify such anomalies.

“We were clear on the kind of party APC should be. We saw the weaknesses of the PDP, apart from the imposition of candidates.

Part of the problem was that elected candidates were not accountable to the party or anybody, and we thought building the APC would depart from that.

That was where the slogan ‘change’ came from,” Lukman explained.

He recalled that the APC was envisioned as a social democratic party, prioritizing health, education, and social services, but lamented that the party had deviated from these principles.

Lukman attributed some of the party’s problems to Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, describing the former President as an emperor-like figure due to his significant electoral influence within the party.

“We were hoping with Asiwaju (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu), things would start changing,” he said, expressing disappointment that the situation has worsened.

“We are having a party where some of its organs have not been convened since its formation.

We are having a party in which for one year no meeting has taken place, and that party is controlling the government,” Lukman lamented.