14th July, 2022
By Emmanuel Mogbede
Dr Salihu Lukman, All Progressives Congress (APC)National Vice-Chairman, North-West, said the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and its presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are not a threat to APC in 2023 general election.
Lukman, also the immediate past Director-General of Progressives Governors Forum (PFG) said this when he spoke with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
He, however, said that the APC would work hard to achieve success in the 2023 general elections because it was not taking anything for granted.
Lukman said that the difference between APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties was that the party has mass followership among the people.
“We have made it very clear that the difference between APC in 2015 and Kwankwaso in 2023 is that APC is grounded in the minds of the people.
“You can see for yourself, but in the case of other parties, including the PDP, they are hoping and waiting for us to mismanage ourselves on the basis of which they pack whatever we are not able to achieve.
“Now, the reality is that we are not taking anything for granted, we are not dismissing people we are going to work hard,” he said.
Lukman also supported the Tinubu/Shettima president ticket of the party saying that the APC leadership considered all factors before arriving at the ticket.
He assured that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the party would protect the interest of all Nigerians if he emerged as the president with the support of the electorate in 2023.
“My position which I have always buttressed is that politics is about contest and managing interests, certainly, the party leadership must have considered all factors before arriving at its choice of a running mate.
“In the end, we have to convince Nigerians that Muslim-Muslim ticket or however you look at it does not mean discrimination against anybody,” he said.
Speaking on his ongoing fact-finding tour of North West, Lukman said it was basically to hear from aggrieved members of the party and get suggestions on how to unite the party, ahead of the general elections.
He said the key issue was basically reconciliation, adding that there was need to listen to aggrieved party members who unfortunately lost primary elections.
“So the recommendations include setting up committees at state level to go round and meet everybody and try to pacify, and that is being done across most of the states.
“The second issue has to do with complaints that some people who left the party are still holding on to federal appointments.
“There are other issues which of course, are very critical as we have reflected in some of the statements we issued,” he said.
This, he said, included issues of insecurity, unity among party members and the question of mobilising for voter registration.(NAN)