A former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has said he has lost hope in the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, adding that he does not believe the President will achieve anything significant before May 2027.
Lukman was speaking on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme broadcast on Channels Television.
He stated that he has come to realise Tinubu is not the progressive leader he once believed him to be, noting that Tinubu is governing Nigeria differently from how he administered Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.
“For anyone expecting something wonderful to happen before May 2027, I would say you are dreaming. I wish you luck in your dream, but if it happens, it will be a pleasant surprise,” Lukman said.
“For me, I have reached the conclusion that nothing good is going to come from this government, which is why we must start organising ourselves. I have said it before: this country can be fixed in our lifetime, and I pray God grants us the strength and courage to engage with our leaders.”
Lukman explained that he continued to support Tinubu until July last year before withdrawing, lamenting that the President has isolated himself, even from members of his own party, making him inaccessible.
He said he had almost been certain that Tinubu would correct the mistakes of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, but claimed Tinubu’s failures have, ironically, made Buhari appear heroic by comparison.
Lukman stressed that the failure of the APC has made it vital for the coalition currently being formed to rest on a strong foundation.
“If, after failing in the APC, we now form another coalition only for it to become business as usual, then we have learnt nothing. This is why, from the outset, we must truly engage ourselves seriously. We owe it to Nigerians, and I am telling Nigerians that it is possible to fix this country within our lifetime,” he said.
He concluded by stating that in the APC, they had sacrificed the party’s principles, and such mistakes must not be repeated in the new coalition.