Salihu Lukman, former national vice-chairman (north-west) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the party has failed Nigerians by abandoning the promises it made before taking power.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, Lukman alleged that the APC betrayed public trust and has become a source of disappointment to many Nigerians.
Lukman, who recently defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the new political alliance is determined not to repeat the failures of the ruling party.
“We’re coming from a recent past. I was part of the APC from the beginning,” he said.
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“We made all manner of promises and ended up becoming a disappointment. We don’t want to repeat those kinds of experiences.
“We don’t want a situation where government changes and things get worse.”
Lukman also accused APC leaders of becoming authoritarian after winning elections.
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“Coming from the APC, we trusted leaders and they ended up becoming emperors,” he said.
“Look at APC today. Everywhere you turn, it’s ‘on your mandate, on your mandate’. I’m not going to stand on anybody’s mandate.”
He said the coalition being built under the ADC will uphold internal democracy and transparency in leadership.
“I want someone who will subordinate himself to the party and always seek clearance from members to know if they’re doing the right thing,” he said.
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Lukman warned Nigerians against elevating politicians to a point where they develop a sense of entitlement and arrogance.
“As Nigerians, we must resist the temptation of setting up leaders who believe it’s either them or nothing,” he said.
“I’ve always said it’s not about trusting leaders, they must earn trust. The best way to do that is through humility and respect for party members.”
He added that the APC missed a historic opportunity to transform the country.
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