The former director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF,
Salihu Lukman, has appealed to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to take steps in preventing bad leaders from emerging as the party standard bearer for 2023 elections.
The former DG PGF said this in a statement released on Tuesday, titled “Political Leadership Recruitment”.
In the statement, Lukman alleged that the actions of Kogi State Governor contradicts commitment and allegiance to the party.
He cited the case of N19.3 billion salary bail out given to Kogi State by the Federal Government, which was deposited in a bank account domiciled with Sterling Bank Plc. “The money was recovered in November 2021 by the EFCC and returned to the CBN.” the former DG alledged.
Lukman noted that, while the controversy of the seizure of the N19.3 billion salary bail out is yet to be resolved, in February 2022, Kogi State announced the commencement of payment of N30,000 minimum wage which by the end of February 2022, media reports revealed that Kogi State workers, instead of receiving the new minimum wage of N30,000, received only percentages of their old salaries, some as low as only 25%.
“Part of the media reports suggest that there are workers who have received as low as N2,000 as salary for February 2022. Amid all these, His Excellency Yahaya Bello is going round the country shamelessly campaigning for his so-called emergence as the Presidential candidate of the APC for 2023.”
The former DG appealed to the APC leadership to take steps by disclaiming the Kogi State Governor.
“In addition, he is one of the few APC leaders collaborating with His Excellency Mai Mala to undermine the decision to organise the Convention of the APC, perhaps in expectation that His Excellency Mai Mala, as APC Chairman, will manipulate the process of electing the APC’s Presidential candidate in his (Yahaya Bello) favour.
“We must appeal to all APC leaders, especially Governors, to recognise that the weight of political responsibility of producing new leaders for the APC is in fact a very strong test of whether the party can continue to justifiably earn the confidence of Nigerians.
“The crucial task before APC leaders is to ensure that leadership selection process produce trustworthy leaders both as party leaders and as candidates for elections.
“Once party leaders make the mistake of producing Bureau De Change managers as APC leaders during the March 26, 2022 National Convention, the probability will be very high that there will be many bad eggs emerging as standard bearers of the party for the 2023 elections.
“Starting with the March 26, 2022 APC National Convention, APC leaders, especially Governors should demonstrate stronger commitment towards recruiting tested and trustworthy leaders.
” As part of the process of planning for the emergence of trustworthy leaders’ issues of getting current leaders to account for their actions or inactions will be necessary.
He urged the party leaders to hold Buni accountable for all the allegations of extorting money from aspiring candidates and party leaders.
“It is only when His Excellency Mai Mala is made to account for such charges that successor leaders would avoid toying such path” he added.
