Nigerians Now Hostile To Buhari, APC Leaders — Lukman, DG PGF

*Says Consensus Building Will Ensure Unity

Director-General of the forum of governors in the All
Progressives Congress, the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu
Lukman, has expressed concern over deep-seated hatred towards
President Muhammadu Buhari and others chieftains of the ruling
party.

He raised the observation at the weekend in a statement
entitled, “Nigerian Politics and Question of National Unity,” which
he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja.

Lukman who noted that politics in Nigeria under the current
administration has transformed every politician into a regional
leader as against national leader, further noted that the
disconnect between those holding elective offices in the ruling
party and the ordinary Nigerians has instigated hostility towards
those holding elective offices.

He said: “Endless vicious circle of agitations to resolve
problems of marginalisation, injustice and unfairness has created
an atmosphere of deep-seated frustrations by most Nigerians from
all sections. It is also responsible for the anger against
political leaders and political establishments.

“Consequently, public commentaries are antagonistic against
elected leaders and the ruling party – President Muhammadu Buhari
and the All Progressives Congress (APC). Arguably, the belief is
that President Buhari and the APC are the problems.

“Anybody who is associated with them is condemned and projected
to be part of the problem. In the same way, every analysis of
challenges facing the country, which attempt to highlight any
progress being made on account of initiatives by the APC
administration led by President Buhari is dismissed and condemned.
Some critiques have argued that the APC and President Buhari also
used the same approach to defeat the Peoples’ Democratic Party
(PDP) and former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, which is
debatable.

“It is important that the point is stressed that politics is
about choices and every citizen should have the inalienable right
to make his/her political decisions. Part of what civilisation
require is to respect the choices made by every Nigerian even if we
disagree. Inability to respect one another and the choices we all
make only stabilise the nation in this season of ethnic contempt,
tension and endless conflicts.

“In all the public outcry against the APC and President Buhari,
for instance, even when opposition makes valid recommendations to
resolve the challenges of national unity, they are not presented
with the aim of winning the minds of elected leaders, and to that
extent, therefore, get them to consider adopting and implementing
the recommendations. In the same way, when elected representatives
initiate actions to resolve challenges facing the country, there is
hardly effort to win the support of citizens.”

Going forward, the Director-General of the PGF called for
consensus among the power elite to mitigate the growing mutual
ethnic distrust among the federating geo-political zones.

“As a nation, both citizens and political leaders need to come
to terms with the reality that we all need each other to be able to
build a nation that guarantees a good livelihood for citizens from
all sections of the country. Nigeria can fulfil its destiny as
Africa and world power with leadership that is a rallying point for
good governance based on fair representation, justice and
equity.

“It is debatable if any of the constituent parts and the
respective ethnic groups – Igbos, Yorubas, Hausa-Fulanis, Tivs,
Efik, Igbibios, Urogbos, or any other individual ethnic group can
attain greatness and satisfactorily fulfil the aspirations of its
members. Democratic governance offers Nigeria the rare opportunity
to reorient the politics of the country to develop the framework
for continuous engagements, negotiations and agreements.

“For this to happen, Nigerian politics must produce political
leaders who are able to embrace all parts of the country as their
constituency and engage political leaders from the regions based on
capacity to support them to provide new leadership to their people
that are able to win support for political agreements, which may
not be simply about cheap access to elective and appointive
positions by the regions.”

*Says Consensus Building Will Ensure Unity

Director-General of the forum of governors in the All
Progressives Congress, the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu
Lukman, has expressed concern over deep-seated hatred towards
President Muhammadu Buhari and others chieftains of the ruling
party.

He raised the observation at the weekend in a statement
entitled, “Nigerian Politics and Question of National Unity,” which
he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja.

Lukman who noted that politics in Nigeria under the current
administration has transformed every politician into a regional
leader as against national leader, further noted that the
disconnect between those holding elective offices in the ruling
party and the ordinary Nigerians has instigated hostility towards
those holding elective offices.

He said: “Endless vicious circle of agitations to resolve
problems of marginalisation, injustice and unfairness has created
an atmosphere of deep-seated frustrations by most Nigerians from
all sections. It is also responsible for the anger against
political leaders and political establishments.

“Consequently, public commentaries are antagonistic against
elected leaders and the ruling party – President Muhammadu Buhari
and the All Progressives Congress (APC). Arguably, the belief is
that President Buhari and the APC are the problems.

“Anybody who is associated with them is condemned and projected
to be part of the problem. In the same way, every analysis of
challenges facing the country, which attempt to highlight any
progress being made on account of initiatives by the APC
administration led by President Buhari is dismissed and condemned.
Some critiques have argued that the APC and President Buhari also
used the same approach to defeat the Peoples’ Democratic Party
(PDP) and former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, which is
debatable.

“It is important that the point is stressed that politics is
about choices and every citizen should have the inalienable right
to make his/her political decisions. Part of what civilisation
require is to respect the choices made by every Nigerian even if we
disagree. Inability to respect one another and the choices we all
make only stabilise the nation in this season of ethnic contempt,
tension and endless conflicts.

“In all the public outcry against the APC and President Buhari,
for instance, even when opposition makes valid recommendations to
resolve the challenges of national unity, they are not presented
with the aim of winning the minds of elected leaders, and to that
extent, therefore, get them to consider adopting and implementing
the recommendations. In the same way, when elected representatives
initiate actions to resolve challenges facing the country, there is
hardly effort to win the support of citizens.”

Going forward, the Director-General of the PGF called for
consensus among the power elite to mitigate the growing mutual
ethnic distrust among the federating geo-political zones.

“As a nation, both citizens and political leaders need to come
to terms with the reality that we all need each other to be able to
build a nation that guarantees a good livelihood for citizens from
all sections of the country. Nigeria can fulfil its destiny as
Africa and world power with leadership that is a rallying point for
good governance based on fair representation, justice and
equity.

“It is debatable if any of the constituent parts and the
respective ethnic groups – Igbos, Yorubas, Hausa-Fulanis, Tivs,
Efik, Igbibios, Urogbos, or any other individual ethnic group can
attain greatness and satisfactorily fulfil the aspirations of its
members. Democratic governance offers Nigeria the rare opportunity
to reorient the politics of the country to develop the framework
for continuous engagements, negotiations and agreements.

“For this to happen, Nigerian politics must produce political
leaders who are able to embrace all parts of the country as their
constituency and engage political leaders from the regions based on
capacity to support them to provide new leadership to their people
that are able to win support for political agreements, which may
not be simply about cheap access to elective and appointive
positions by the regions.”