APC chieftain, Lukman decries imposition in the party

A former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), North-West, Salihu Lukman, has decried what he termed as the rampant imposition of candidates in the party.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Lukman warned that imposition of candidates in the party would continue said as long as organs of the party are not meeting regularly.

He also noted that for party organs to be made functional by the Abdullahi Ganduje-leadership, the issue of party funding must be resolved beyond the current reality of dependence on elected representatives.

He said: “The culture of debate and contestation associated with democracy are being destroyed. Sycophancy has taken over politics. Political survival is today a function of being conformist. Even in APC, with claimed progressive orientation, leaders avoid open disagreement with elected leaders.

“The whole issue of activating all party structures and making them functional in line with provisions of the APC Constitution must be guaranteed. As much as party organs are meeting as prescribed by the party Constitution, incidences of imposition will be minimised.

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“Once APC, being the ruling party, can operate based on provisions of its Constitution, the campaign to reform Nigerian politics and expand democratic space will be made much easier.

“If organs of the party are meeting regularly, problems of impositions of candidates will be minimised.

“In any case, issues leading to imposition of candidates are made possible and stronger because organs of the party vested with the responsibility of decisions regarding party primary are undermined.

“Consequently, party stakeholders who should have a say in decisions that can guarantee free and fair primary are marginalised.

“Being the ruling party, what affects the APC seems to be infecting all other parties in the country, in varying proportion. The problems of not allowing organs of the party to function have spread to the PDP. The leadership crisis is also consuming the Labour Party.

“The problems may be worse in other parties. Without a doubt, Nigeria is faced with a deeper crisis of accountability. Elected leaders in Nigeria are behaving more like emperors,” the APC chieftain noted.

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