TheCable

Salihu Lukman, director-general of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), has warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) risks losing in the 2023 elections over the “recklessness” of some of its leaders.

Lukman, who has been vocal about his grievances with the APC national leadership, said the ruling party remains its biggest opposition in the next round of general elections.

He said these on Monday via a statement titled ‘Determining Factors for 2023 Contests in APC’.

“An inconvenient reality, which every APC leader and member, committed and working to protect the electoral viability of the party, should be worried about is that the strongest opponent of the APC is within the APC,” he said.

“The truth is, other parties, especially the PDP, are shadow opposition whose electoral prospects are largely dependent on the outcome of internal contests in the APC, mainly because of the reckless and undisciplined conducts of some APC leaders.”

Lukman reminded the ruling party that it lost governorship elections in many states including Rivers and Zamfara because of internal crises that made aggrieved leaders work against the party’s interests.

He said the APC has been able to win key elections including the last presidential poll because of the loyalty and support President Muhammadu Buhari commands.

“The question, which every APC leader and member need to answer is, will the APC continue to enjoy such electoral advantage when President Buhari is not the Presidential candidate of the party?” he added.

“Is there another leader in the APC with the towering electoral profile of President Buhari? Whether there is another leader with the electoral profile of President Buhari, is yet to be seen, at least not based on any electoral evidence.

“Part of the requirement for APC to be able to retain the electoral advantage of President Buhari is that factors of blind trusts in the party must be eliminated. No matter the estimation of support or opposition of members of the new NWC to the ambitions of leaders, APC leaders must have very high moral credentials such that when the NWC erred, they are not beyond correction.”

The PGF DG, who had earlier cautioned Mai Mala Buni, chairman of the party’s national caretaker committee, on repeating the mistakes of previous leaders, commended him for “bringing back sanity into the party.”

He said while this has made APC “become more attractive for political leaders of other parties”, it must regulate the conduct of political leaders especially elected representatives.

“(The) inability to develop the capacity to regulate the conducts of party leaders will be injurious to the vision of developing the APC as a truly progressive party,” he added.