TheCable

Salihu Lukman, a former vice-chair of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, says the party needs equal partnership to return to its progressive vision. 

In a statement on Thursday, Lukman said in 2013, APC had “strong potential” of becoming a progressive political party.

The former director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) said President Bola Tinubu and leaders of the party must set in motion a process to renegotiate the APC.

“Renegotiating the APC should be about reinventing progressive politics in the country based on the acknowledgment that what we have in APC today is anything but progressive politics,” he said.

“Being privileged to have President Asiwaju Tinubu should translate to an advantage to reform the APC to become a truly progressive party.

“It will require the capacity to put in place the orientation of equal partnership in APC for the party to return to its founding vision of becoming a progressive party.

“It is only through equal partnership that the APC can reinvent progressive politics in Nigeria based on which issues of accountability and being responsive and representative to the interest of Nigerians can be stronger.”

Lukman lamented that organs of the party are not functioning as they should.

“Up to June 9, 2015 when the 8th National Assembly was inaugurated, no meeting of any organ of the party was held,” he said.

“No decision was taken by any organ of the party in terms of influencing the emergence of leaders of the 8th National Assembly, which made it possible for the rebellious groups led by Sen. Saraki and Hon. Dogara to defeat the preferred candidates of APC leaders.

“In fact, the capacity to resolve national challenges such as rising insecurity in the country as contained in the APC manifesto and campaign promises became problematic.”