Former Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Mallam Salihu Lukman, has advised former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to reconsider his decision to leave the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Lukman, in an open letter to Kwankwaso, warned that to defect from the ADC less than two months after joining the party, “Will simply diminish you as someone self-centred.”
He recalled the role he played in bringing opposition leaders under one platform, in a bid to wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, there is nothing wrong with ADC, recalling the factors that resulted in adopting ADC as a coalition platform.
According to him, two options were considered by the coalition partners: register a new party or adopt any of the registered parties.
He disclosed that further assessment indicated the weak potentials of succeeding in getting a new party registered, including the existence of already over 100 applications before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This, he added, made the opposition leaders explore the option of adopting an existing party.
He further disclosed that part of the terms of reference of the committee set up for that purpose was that parties considered for adoption should not be in danger of deregistration by INEC.
“In other words, they must have won an election conducted by INEC in compliance with Section 78(7) of the Electoral Act 2022.
“In addition, such a party should not have an internal crisis or intractable litigation. In addition, the leadership of the party should subscribe to complete rebranding, which may include a change of name, a change of constitution, a change of flag, logo, slogan and a change of leadership,” he added.
Lukman wondered why Kwankwaso would want to go outside ADC to emerge as a presidential candidate.
He also faulted the argument associated with Peter Obi that in the event of a primary election in ADC, it would be impossible to defeat Atiku Abubakar.
“Some of the assumptions, which are more associated with indirect primary, are that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will bribe his way to win the primary, which is quite unfair.
“Given that you are 69 years old and by October, you will be 70, one would expect that your preoccupation at this point is to ensure that you leave a positive political legacy beyond achieving your personal ambition to rule Nigeria.
“One of such legacies will be how those of you with leadership responsibility can facilitate a new political orientation of collective leadership in the country,” he said.
