Salihu Mohammed Lukman, the ex-National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has leveled accusations against President Bola Tinubu, claiming he is governing in a manner akin to a military dictator.
Lukman expressed concerns about the prevailing security and socio-economic challenges, which he believes pose a threat to Tinubu’s potential second term and could lead to the closure of the party’s prospects in 2027 if not promptly addressed.
Lukman accused President Tinubu of dismantling the party’s structures and assuming a regal posture, acting with perceived absolute knowledge of solutions to the nation’s problems.
In a statement released on Saturday, March 2, Lukman lamented that both former President Muhammadu Buhari and current President Tinubu have deviated from the promises made during the merger in 2013 and the APC manifesto, resulting in hardship for Nigerians.
He questioned Tinubu’s management of government affairs, likening it to a military dictatorship, and criticized the president’s communication style, which Lukman perceives as talking down to citizens like a philosopher king.
Lukman raised doubts about the sincerity of Tinubu’s interest in a second term, speculating on possible alternative motives for the governance approach.
The statement read, in part, “If he is interested in a second term, why is he managing affairs of government like a military dictator, shutting down the structures of the party and talking down to citizens like a philosopher king who has absolute knowledge of what will produce possible happiness for citizens?”
Lukman further questioned the President’s alliances with previously opposed political figures and the potential success of such alliances in securing a second term.
He pondered the authenticity of the merger that birthed the APC, suggesting that it might have been a deception, with the pursuit of power overshadowing the party’s initial objectives.
