Mallam Salihu Moh Lukman, former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), has described the defection of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as premature.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Lukman emphasized the need for a coordinated political movement rather than individual defections.
When asked about his stance on El-Rufai’s move, the APC chietain said, “Only if SDP meets the conditions we have set, which I have highlighted. At the moment, they have not met them.
“We are in discussion, no doubt about it. If they meet them tomorrow, fine.”
Lukman acknowledged that El-Rufai’s defection was not surprising, especially after his recent Arise TV interview, where he hinted at major political realignments. However, he believed El-Rufai should have been more patient so the coalition could move as a unified group.
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“I expected that he should have been a bit patient for us to walk out as a group based on the current negotiation that is ongoing.
“But he knows better, and I do hope his decision is not going to become a kind of breakaway from whatever we are doing. My hope is that, in the end, we should be able to reconcile and work together under one platform,” Lukman stated.
Regarding whether the coalition would adopt SDP as its official platform for the 2027 elections, Lukman said discussions were ongoing. However, he emphasized that the SDP must agree to certain democratic principles before being considered.
“The challenge is whether SDP will submit itself to some of the conditions that we believe are necessary. Unlike most conventional politicians who just want a platform to present candidates and win elections, a few of us believe the issue is beyond that,” he said.
He criticized both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for their history of candidate imposition.
“If you remember, the problem Nigerians had with PDP was the problem of imposition of candidates. When the APC came and promised ‘Change,’ Nigerians expected that we would change the culture of imposition. Unfortunately, we have failed in that. In fact, it has become worse,” Lukman added.
He argued that internal democracy in the APC has collapsed, making election outcomes within the party predictable.
“If things continue as they are, you can predict that President Asiwaju will become the candidate of APC, and all first-time APC governors will emerge as candidates, whether they are popular in their states or not. You can also predict all legislators at federal and state levels, whether they have performed or not.”
Lukman concluded by stressing the need for a political platform that prioritizes true competition rather than endorsing pre-selected candidates, warning that Nigeria’s democracy will suffer if internal party processes remain compromised.
