Salihu Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman (Northwest) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the ruling party has strayed far from its founding principles and now operates like a monarchy.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Friday, May 23, Lukman expressed deep concern over the direction the APC is headed.
He recalled his involvement in forming the party and said what was once a progressive movement has lost its democratic spirit.
“The APC has moved from a party envisioned to be progressive to almost a monarchy,” he said.
According to him, internal democracy is all but gone. “As it is now, the APC mantra is that there will be no internal contest in 2027, the President is adopted. All their governors are adopted. Legislators are also adopted,” he added.
Lukman didn’t spare other political parties either. He argued that none of them operate like real political organisations because they fail to uphold their constitutions or demand accountability from elected representatives.
“Any party whose elected representatives are not accountable is not a party in the classical sense,” he said.
Amid this growing discontent, Lukman revealed that plans to form a new political coalition ahead of the 2027 elections are nearing completion.
He said the group has spent over a year holding talks to build a viable alternative capable of reshaping Nigeria’s political future.
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“There is nothing stopping the coalition from coming to fruition,” he said.
Lukman dismissed claims by some governors who denied involvement in the coalition effort, saying their recent moves only confirm their alignment with the APC.
“Even when the governors claimed, for instance, they were not part of the coalition, we responded clearly. Some of them, as you have seen, either have already moved to the APC or are on their way to move to the APC,” he said.
“So, clearly, they are doing the bidding of the APC and the ‘Asiwaju’ government. So, we are not bothered about that. We have the PDP bloc in the coalition and nothing is stopping the coalition.”
He said the coalition is going through a detailed and careful process and would soon unveil its leaders and plans for the 2027 elections.
Explaining the motivation behind the effort, Lukman said the aim is not just to win power but to build a party that operates differently from what Nigerians have come to expect.
“We want to present to Nigerians a new reality that addresses all the frustrations. We want to ensure that internally, winners emerge through contests, and when people win elections, they are accountable to the party,” he said.
According to him, the coalition is also in talks with an existing party that may serve as a platform, provided it agrees to sweeping structural and constitutional reforms.
The conditions include new leadership, transparent primaries, and a commitment to internal democracy.