Dr. Salihu Lukman, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman for the North West, has cautioned that President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to name his successor might mobilize Nigerians against the party and delegitimize him.
According to Anaedoonline.ng, the president appealed to the APC governors on Tuesday to let him to pick his successor.
Lukman cautioned that the president’s choice might harm his reputation in a statement released Wednesday titled “Succession and 2023 APC Presidential Candidate: Open Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.”
2023: Buhari Begs APC Governors To Allow Him Pick Is Successor
He cautioned that anything less of a level playing field for all presidential candidates at the party’s convention on June 6 would be detrimental to the party’s electoral fortunes.
The party chieftain emphasized that now, more than ever, when Buhari would not be on the ballot in 2023, his measured leadership will be even more important to ensure the governing party’s election triumph.
He noted how former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s controversial third-term ambition damaged all of his successes as a leader, and that any transition program that would be unpopular must be avoided.
The party’s leader stated that the APC must be able to show greater sensitivity to the challenges of national unity by ensuring that the party’s eventual standard-bearer for the 2023 Presidential election embodies a commitment to equity and justice as the underlying principles sustaining Nigeria’s corporate existence as a united country.
Lukman emphasised that the temptation for leaders to choose their successors was democratically risky and very costly.
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He said if in 2013/2014, Buhari submitted himself to the internal democratic process, it was important that his successor also follows the same process.
Lukman said: “Ordinarily, this should not be a problem. Both party members and leaders will always trust Your Excellency’s judgment. However, the big worry is whether loyal party leaders and members should just reduce themselves to being ordinary observers when very sensitive issues with very high potential to diminish and damage Your Excellency’s revered status in the country is being considered.
“Noting that the current phenomena of poor relations between predecessors and successor governors are largely a product of poorly instituted political succession arrangement in the country, which is impulsive and imposing, it will be highly risky to adopt the same succession framework as it can erode all your lifelong achievements as someone who contributes a lot to strengthen Nigerian democracy.
“Like in the case of December 10, 2014 APC National Convention, everything will be done at the June 6, 2022 APC National Convention to guarantee a level playing field for all aspiring Presidential candidates of our party. Any recommendation to the contrary will be inimical and injurious to the electoral fortunes of our great party, APC.
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“Any initiative that potentially took away the rights of party members to elect candidates would potentially mobilise Nigerians against the party and rubbish Mr. President.”
Lukman, therefore, urged Buhari to resist the temptation.
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