Salihu Lukman, a former APC leader, believes that Senator Ali Ndume’s removal as Senate Chief Whip and expulsion from the party suggest President Bola Tinubu plans to serve only one term.
News About Nigeria reports that this follows Ndume’s ousting on Wednesday, when he was replaced by Senator Tahir Monguno after the APC chairman and secretary accused him of making harsh public criticisms against the president.
Lukman, in a statement issued Thursday titled, “Fanatical Mindset,” lamented that everything is being done to suspend free speech in the country, adding that it was almost as if the country were back in the Abacha era, or even worse.
The former APC chieftain said that as it is, the personal liberties of citizens are being threatened, fair hearing is no longer guaranteed, and the country has democracy without democrats.
He said that there was nowhere in the APC Constitution where the National Chairman, National Secretary, or any official, or even the National Working Committee, is given the powers to summarily remove any principal officer of the National Assembly
He said it was a shame that the APC Senate Caucus would permit such an act of illegality, adding that by doing so, they have set a precedent that would further erode the independence of the National Assembly
Lukman: “The way things are, it is almost as if President Asiwaju Tinubu has resolved that he will only be a one-term president. Under his watch, the living conditions of Nigerians are continuously getting worse. Instead of making an effort to develop clear plans to address the situation, the government is becoming more intolerant of criticism.
“Any democracy that cannot accommodate criticism is no democracy. A democracy that subverts fair hearing is a dictatorship. A democracy that permits a ruling party to demobilise its organs and inadvertently expels its members is worse than a military government.”
“So long as APC, its leadership and Asiwaju Tinubu’s government have taken the self-destructive path, which is equivalent to a declaration of working end their tenure in 2027, patriotic Nigerians must help them to ensure their defeat in 2027!”
