A former National Vice-Chairman, North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has said that opposition political leaders, including alienated APC leaders, have commenced negotiations towards producing alternative political platforms ahead of the 2027 elections.

To this end, he said Nigerians must rise to this challenge and make the defeat of APC and President Bola Tinubu not only possible in 2027 but most importantly guarantee the election of truly democratic leaders and not emperors.

Lukman, in a statement issued Thursday, pointed out that opposition political leaders should commit themselves to allowing political competition in the country as a basis for the emergence of political leaders at all levels.

Lukman stressed that once the process of forming the new party failed to guarantee internal competition to produce leaders of the party, it simply means retention of the status quo.

He added that the only way the defeat of Tinubu and APC could be possible is if Nigerians are able to focus on themselves and produce a functional political party that would respect its own rules.

The former Director General of the Progressives Governors Form emphasised that such a functional political party must be distinctively different from the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and all the existing registered political parties in the country.

He noted: ?While acknowledging that opposition political leaders, including alienated APC leaders have commenced negotiations towards producing alternative political platforms, it must also be recognised that most Nigerian politicians are not disposed to competitive political culture.

?Largely because most politicians are driven by personal ambitions to contest elections, the default mindset is about imposition and manipulating processes to achieve personal ambitions. This must stop.?

Lukman noted that the expectations for free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria might elude Nigerians once more.

According to him, ?As was the case in 2015, we could have relatively free, fair and credible elections in 2027, which may only result in the defeat of APC and President Bola Tinubu with the attendant danger of retaining the status quo of producing leaders who are emperors, who would only pretentiously be committed to resolving Nigeria?s challenges.

?As Nigerians, we must rise to this challenge and make the defeat of APC and President Tinubu not only possible in 2027 but most importantly guarantee the election of truly democratic leaders and not emperors.

?This should be about properly organising a political party that could allow for the emergence of party leaders at all levels through internal competition.

?The practice whereby prospective candidates for election impose leaders of the party, who will in turn crown them as candidates, must change.

?Like in past cases, Nigerians will survive the current challenges. The same way Nigerians outlived military rule, we shall outlive this era of emperors and in 2025 produce a truly democratic political party, which could guarantee internal political competition as foundation for the restoration of national political competition.? (THISDAY)

Update news