Former Director General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman, has shed light on how the conservative bloc within the All Progressives Congress (APC) hindered the implementation of the true federalism report produced by a committee led by former Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Lukman made these revelations during an interview on “Inside Sources” with Laolu Akande on Channels Television aired on Friday. He disclosed that, as a member of the committee under former President Buhari, the report was a result of honest work, aimed at gathering public opinions and exploring various options, including draft legislative bills.
“I argued about this in several of my writings. The conservative bloc within the APC tends to have its way. They have the sophisticated skills to ensure that what they don’t like isn’t done. They are everywhere, and this is part of my frustration with the APC,” Lukman stated, expressing disappointment at the lack of substantial debates within the party.
Lukman highlighted the prevalence of internal scheming for positions and candidacies, even in the absence of elections, as a significant obstacle to democratic progress. “We can’t make progress in a democracy like that,” he added.
While acknowledging a reduction in electoral manipulations since 2015, he emphasized the need for accountability in producing leaders responsive to citizens’ needs and representative of their interests.
Calling for political party reform in Nigeria, Lukman criticized the dysfunctional state of party structures, specifically within the APC. Referring to the Uwais Committee report, he advocated for the unbundling of INEC and the establishment of a Political Party Regulatory Commission.
“My advocate is now more in terms of what we need to do as a nation to reform our political parties. I keep taking us back to the Uwais Committee report which recommended unbundling INEC, and one of the structures to emerge from the unbundled INEC should be the Political Party Regulatory Commission because right now, none of our parties is functioning, APC inclusive,” Lukman continued.
Highlighting the poor functioning of APC structures, Lukman pointed out that the National Executive Committee had not met since August, though it was supposed to meet quarterly. The National Advisory Council, akin to the Board of Trustees, remained inactive since 2013, with no meetings conducted. He also noted the neglect of crucial structures like the National Caucus and the failure to establish constitutions for women and youth wings.
“We have formed structures like women wing, youth wing, they are supposed to have their constitution, but till today, nothing has been done,” he said, expressing frustration at the lack of progress.
In conclusion, Lukman stressed the urgent need for nationwide reforms to enhance the functionality of political parties and foster a more effective democratic process.