A former national Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has dismissed the presidential aspirations of Rabiu Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) candidate, as a mere illusion.
Lukman made this statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, News About Nigeria reports.
According to Lukman, Kwankwaso’s dream of becoming the President of Nigeria is unattainable in its current state.
He said, “The ambition of Senator Kwankwaso is to become the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Where he is today, I can confidently say that it will be like a mirage for him to be the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He said it would require years of political manoeuvring and negotiation across the country, which may even outlive Kwankwaso’s lifespan.
Lukman urged the ruling party to facilitate Kwankwaso’s return to the APC to fast-track his presidential ambitions. He believes that the corruption allegations against APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje have political undertones and require a political solution.
Recall that Ganduje and some of his family members are being probed by the Kano state anti-graft agency over corruption charges.
The governor of the state, Abba Yusuf, is the political godson of Kwankwaso.
The feud between Ganduje and Kwankwaso, which led to Kwankwaso leaving the APC, was an avoidable crisis, according to Lukman.
He said, “We must push Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje to renegotiate relationships back in his state because it’s political. If you don’t approach it politically, you will never take it away.
“You can replace Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje and if the capacity to get leaders to do the right thing in their base is not addressed, we will continue to get into this.”
In reference to Ganduje’s suspension by some APC ward chieftains, Lukman acknowledged that the party has internal problems that need to be addressed.
Lukman said, “We must accept that things are not alright within the APC, forget about the Ganduje matter in Kano. The reality is that we have problems that require us to come back to rebuild our party.”
