The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to remarks made by Salihu Lukman, Party’s former national Vice-Chairman (North West), who posited that APC’s nine years in power is worse than the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 16-year reign.
Lukman had criticised both former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing them of failing to meet the expectations of Nigerians and deliver on their promises.
In a statement titled “Building Nigerian Democracy,” Lukman lamented the state of governance under the APC, asserting that the party had failed to address critical issues facing the country, including insecurity, economic hardship, and corruption.
He suggested that the APC had not lived up to the expectations it set when it unseated the PDP in 2015, a move that ended the latter’s 16-year dominance.
Lukman also expressed frustration with the disunity among opposition leaders, which he said was giving President Tinubu the freedom to run the country unchallenged. He argued that opposition leaders had failed to unite to offer a credible alternative to the APC ahead of the 2027 elections, instead prioritising their personal political ambitions.
“We have become worse than the PDP we defeated in 2015,” Lukman had stated.
He pointed out that the party had campaigned in 2015 on three cardinal issues: security, economic stability, and the fight against corruption. However, he argued, these issues have only worsened under APC’s watch, with Nigerians facing heightened insecurity, rampant poverty, and a declining economy.
Responding, APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, defended the party’s performance and questioned Lukman’s motives.
Ibrahim noted that Lukman had been a key figure in the party’s leadership and policy formulation for much of the nine years he criticised.
According to him, Lukman’s comments were disingenuous, given his active role in the party during the period he now condemns.
“I hold Lukman in high esteem, but if this is how he feels, he needs to re-evaluate his conscience.
“He was part and parcel of the policy formulation process within the party, and if the APC has failed, then Lukman is indirectly admitting his own failure, because he was a part of the decision-making machinery.
“If the nine years of APC governance have been a failure, as Lukman claims, then he must also accept responsibility for that failure. After all, he was a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) and played a role in advising on policies and programmes,” he said.
Also, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, hinted that the party would provide a more detailed response to Lukman’s claims.
“He (Lukman) will hear from me tomorrow (today),” Morka said, suggesting that the APC leadership does not take the accusations lightly.
