Former Director General of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Mallam Salihu Lukman, has decried alleged reliance on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governors and other elected officeholders to fund the activities of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it leaves the party at the mercy of elected members.

Lukman, in a piece titled: “Wither Nigerian Democracy: Urgency of Rebuilding Political Parties”, described the seldom clearly-defined funding framework, issues of lack of transparent financial management and diversion of resources in APC as worrisome.

Canvassing for N100 billion national yearly budget for the party, he charged the Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) to take appropriate steps to mobilise financial resources without resorting to elected members.

Expressing concern over the resurgence of imposition of candidates in the party, he contended that party organs would become functional by the time the issue of party funding was resolved beyond the current reality of dependence on elected representatives.

Frowning at the high level of sycophancy among supporters of the party, he remarked that achieving financial independence for the party ahead of the 2027 poll would confer stronger electoral advantages to the APC.

Lukman, who expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership style of the Ganduje-led NWC, reiterated the need for the activation of all APC structures towards making them functional in line with provisions of the APC Constitution.

He said: “Note that the national yearly budget should cover the operations of all party organs, from national to state, councils and ward levels. It is only when a ruling party can operate a national annual budget of more than N100 billion that the condition of service for party leaders at all levels can be benchmarked with public service conditions,”

He argued that as long as party leaders depend on elected members for funds, party leaders would continue to subordinate themselves to elected leaders and would lose the capacity to hold elected representatives accountable to the party.

“It is my wish that APC leaders, especially President Tinubu will consider these proposals in responding to challenges facing the APC.

“Being a member of APC, even as an outcast, I strongly believe that reforming the APC and making all organs of the party functional, resolving challenges of party funding, operating a yearly national budget of more N100 billion and benchmarking conditions of service of party leaders at all levels with public service conditions, combined, would deepen Nigeria’s democracy, return APC to its founding vision of emerging as a progressive party.”

Meanwhile, another APC chief, Garus Gololo, has accused Tinubu of not caring for the masses, describing the Federal Government’s tariff, tax increase and economic policies as “having the trappings of a capitalist in President Tinubu, who doesn’t care about the welfare of Nigerians.”

Speaking to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, he accused the President of not living up to his “Renewed Hope” promise to the country, as he insisted the government was insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.

According to him, he is waiting to see what the APC would use to campaign in 2027, maintaining that he is convinced Nigerians would not give the party another chance.

“If you want to choose from the people, watch the person’s track record. Is he for the masses? We have Senators, we have House of Reps members 366, we aren’t supposed to have poverty in Nigeria.

“Under the present economy, you want to buy a bottle of water, which used to be N100 but now it is N400. How do you want to solve the problem? Where do you want to start fixing this economy?

“From the time we returned to democracy in 1999, let me just take it from Obasanjo, before he became President, a bag of guinea corn and maize was N300, it increased to N500 and later to N1500.

“When Yar’Adua came on board he returned the price to N1000. After Jonathan took over the price went up to N2,500 and later N5,000. When Buhari took over it moved from N5,000 to N15,000. Before the end of Buhari’s tenure, it was N25,000. As I speak it has moved from N25,000 to N75,000.

President Tinubu told us about renewed hope. Pump price of fuel he jacked up from N180 to N640. We don’t need this hope; the renewed hope is zero.”

He stated this while revealing a plan for a merger that would create a political party to wrestle power from the governing party in the next election.

Gololo bemoaned the prevailing economic hardship arising from the government’s policies as he stressed that. (The Guardian)

•President Bola Ahmed Tinubu exchanges pleasantries with the APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

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