Lukman warns ADC, you will lose the Villa if Nigerians do not see “evidence of your true internal democracy in the next 6 months”
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Salihu Lukman has cautioned the newly inaugurated national leadership of African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, against internal wrangling and the “culture of imposition” that plague other political parties.
Lukman, who resigned as All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman (North West) this year and later joined the ADC, gave the warning in a statement issued in Abuja, titled “ADC and the Prospect of Internal Democracy.”
He alerted the ADC that it risks becoming like the old political parties if its leaders fail to embrace collective leadership and ensure fairness in internal party affairs in the run up to the 2027 election.
“The major problem is the culture of imposition that is widespread across all the registered political parties in the country. It is largely responsible for the absence of internal democracy within all the parties,” Lukman reiterated.
“It is also the cause of why elected leaders are unaccountable and unable to be committed to delivering on electoral promises they made to citizens.”
Lukman, who played a key role in building the coalition that produced the new ADC leadership, recounted the difficulty of bringing together opposition leaders for a common cause.
He commended Mark’s role in sealing the agreement that gave birth to the ADC leadership, but reiterated that the real test of his leadership would be the ability to prevent godfatherism and the imposition of loyalists across all levels.
“After more than 18 months of hard work and negotiations, Sen. David Mark is today, together with his team, taking over as the new national leadership of the African Democratic Congress.
“When some few of us started advocating for a coalition of opposition leaders, most Nigerians, including many of the leaders who are now positioning themselves as the drivers of the process, were quite pessimistic and contemptuous.”
Lukman expressed disappointment that some leaders in the coalition are already taking steps to manipulate its internal processes as though victory in the 2027 election is assured.
In his view, unless the ADC charts a new course and earns the trust of Nigerians, it will become “another variant of our old parties.”
He stressed that Nigerians would abandon the ADC if, in the next six months, it does not show evidence of true internal democracy.
“Many are taking steps to manipulate the process of leadership reformation of the ADC. Loyalists are being promoted in a manner that suggests perhaps the 2027 elections are already won.
“The first test of Mark’s leadership is the extent to which he can mitigate all these and ensure that the ADC is not a party that will be controlled by godfathers.
“The leadership should be ready for mass exodus of leaders and members if within the next six months, the ADC emerges as another variant of our old party.
“Anything short of that will defeat the prospect of ADC to win the 2027 elections.”
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