Dr. Salihu Lukman, former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), has alerted Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to a potential move aimed at undermining him through the dissolution of the executive body of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lukman, a key figure in the APC and immediate past national vice chairman, North, expressed his concerns in a piece titled “End of Progressive Politics.” He argued that if the dissolution proceeds, orchestrated congresses could lead to the installation of new party executives at all levels, aligning with the interests of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Painting a future scenario, Lukman predicted that by 2027, Wike, currently at odds with Governor Fubara, could influence the APC governorship candidate selection for Rivers State.
Lukman further criticized the current state of the APC under President Tinubu’s leadership, stating that it deviates from the principles the party was founded upon in 2015 and 2023.
He specifically pointed out concerns about a “garrison brand of progressive politics” being orchestrated under the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, warning that such a strategy could deepen political divisions across the country.
He said:
“The strategy of APC in Rivers State for 2027 will be to further fragment the people of the state. Rather than working to unite political leaders in Rivers State, President Tinubu’s garrison politics will only seek to take advantage of the current division between Amaechi and Wike.
“In addition, Wike will have to incur the political cost of separating from his political godson, Fubara. Even if Fubara achieves all that needs to be achieved as governor of Rivers State, President Tinubu’s garrison politics will emasculate him.
“At this rate, Tinubu is practically pushing Nigerians to bid bye to progressive politics. With such reality, it simply means, the structures of APC in FCT will also be dissolved to produce new APC leaders at all levels of the party, who will be loyal to Wike.
“And any state, where APC is led by people who might have opposed President Tinubu, will similarly be dissolved. Once the circle of imposing stooges as APC leaders at all levels is completed, which started with imposing Dr Ganduje as National Chairman, the next level of imposition will spread to all other democratic institutions to guarantee the supremacy of garrison politics, which will then affirm all the political choices of APC under the leadership of President Tinubu, whatever that means.”
