A former National Vice Chairman (North West) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has written an open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, listing what he described as disturbing signals in the early months of his administration.
In the letter titled, “Disturbing Signals: Open Letter to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu” on Monday in Abuja, Lukman accused the President of imposing another Muslim-Muslim scenario on the party after winning the February 25 polls.
He listed other “disturbing signals” to include the current exchange rate (dollar to naira), fuel pump price and his choice of ministers among others.
He said the endorsement of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and Ajibola Bashiru who are both Muslims as APC’s national chairman and secretary is a disturbing signal, saying it is generating tension among party members and other Nigerians.
He expressed dismay that while Bashiru from Osun State had replaced Iyiola Omisore who resigned as national secretary from the same state, Tinubu had not allowed a former governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura who is also loyal to him or any other APC stalwart from Nasarawa State to replace Adamu who resigned as national chairman but preferred endorsing another Muslim-Muslim “ticket.”
The former APC vice chairman also questioned the criteria in the appointment of ministers, saying with the developments, Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda might not be implemented.
The letter reads in part, “Your Excellency, I find it very compelling to send this open letter to you because there are disturbing signals, which if not averted could produce bigger problems and irreversibly destroy our electoral viability as a party.
“Without attempting to question your authority and commitment to the wellbeing of Nigeria as a nation, within the short period since May 29, 2023 when you assumed office, there are decisions you took, which are very disturbing to many of us who are loyal party members.
“Rather than even attempting to respond to that challenge and demonstrate that truly we only invoked the Muslim-Muslim ticket as an electoral strategy, in a very insensitive manner we imposed another Muslim-Muslim scenario in the party with national chairman and national secretary both Muslims.
“And we want to claim we are a progressive party? What is the brand of our progressive politics? Certainly, not the one which Nigerians expect, which endears us to citizens on account of which Nigerians gave us the mandate to manage the affairs of government since 2015. As it is, both as party members and as Nigerians, our expectation from your government has crashed.”
