The ex-National Vice Chairman, North West, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Lukman, has accused the former President Olusegun Obasanjo of introducing imposition of party candidates that led to confusion and endless challenges rocking democracy in Nigeria.
He insisted that the decision of Obasanjo and others to produce “anointed successors” makes them part of the problem.
Speaking via an open letter titled “Satanic Leadership and Nigeria’s Boiling Point,” he said, Obasanjo was the architect of “anointed successor”, which further created problems in political parties, urging him to stop vain glory of his past administration.
He said, it will be an honour of a statesman for the former President to accept his previous mistakes and lapses, believing that Nigeria can come out of its political challenges.
The politician further stressed that the current challenges of the nation were all caused by past leaders since independence.
According to him, “Your Excellency inadvertently institutionalized the practice of imposition of candidates in our political parties.
“Without going into details, you will recall how in PDP, ahead of the 2007 elections, under Your Excellency’s leadership, the practice of imposition of candidates became the political robe of the PDP.
“Eventually, being the ruling party for sixteen years, the imposition of candidates became an acceptable political rule.
“With imposition, basically, our democracy lost its bearing and became a shadow of the worst authoritarian system.
“The major challenges faced by Nigeria since independence are a result of attempts by past leaders, including Your Excellency, to produce ‘anointed’ successors.
“This has contributed to the political crises and the resulting social and economic challenges, which have worsened under successive administrations.”
