Immediate-past National Vice Chairman (North-west) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Salisu Moh. Lukman, has berated Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state for waging war against his predecessor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, saying the Governor is fighting a proxy war for the presidency.
The former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) warned the Governor that the campaign to defeat APC and President Asiwaju Tinubu has ust started and it will take root in Kaduna State.
In a letter titled “Issues of Politics and Governance in Kaduna: The Truth”, dated 13 June, 2024 and copied to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Ramalan Yero, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Mal. B. A. Law-al, Hon. Garba Datti, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi, Alh. Yusuf Mairago, Alh. Lawal Samaila Yakawad, Alh. Bashir Abubakar Alhaji and Mal. Mohammed Sani Dattijo, Lukman said Governor Uba sani was setting a precedence that will eventually hurt him.
The letter reads in part; “Suddenly, we have created a new atmosphere of animosity among ourselves in the state. Your actions or inactions are generating internal conflict with Mallam asir El-rufai. Without attempting to defend Mallam, I honestly believed that things could be managed better. I sincerely don’t subscribe to proxy fight.
“It is true that it is the House of Assembly that initiated the prove of the loans during the tenure of Mallam between 2015 and 2023. However, there is no way you can extricate yourself that it did not come from you. Because as a leader, it behooves on you to give clear direction on how best to handle the liabilities you inherited. In any case, were you not part of the administration of Mallam? How can a House of Assembly which respect you be proving an administration you are part of?
“Perhaps, it is important at this point to make the emphasis that I was the first to express opposition to Mallam in 2014. I disagree with the way Mallam organise his politics and throughout his tenure, I was not part of the Government. I gave my modest support as a party member without expecting anything and I can say, if there is any benefit that came to me from that government it was the fact that Mallam gave me protection and own me as Director General of Progressive Governors Forum. And after my resignation he nominated me to become the National Vice Chairman (North-West) of APC.
“Many of you close to Mallam know that I have been unfairly labelled as the errand boy of Mallam. Very unfair to Mallam too, many people at the highest level of our party, including the Presidency, unfairly believed that Mallam is the person that make me to write everything I wrote. Even people who know better, such as Comrade Adams Oshiomhole conveniently support this false argument. Yet, Mallam never disown me. I am very grateful to Mallam and to all of you for the opportunity to serve and the fact that throughout his tenure, notwithstanding our differences, he never publicly disowns with me.”
While declaring that no former governor of Kaduna state has executed development initiatives in the state the way El-rufai did, Lukman believed the issue of probe should have been handle differently.
“Coming back to the issue of proxy fight, the prove by the House of Assembly is being orchestrated by Hon. Ibrahim Zailani, former Speaker of the House of Assembly. The truth is that before your emergence as the candidate of the party, the animosity between you and Hon. Zailani was deeper and it is to the credit of Mallam that he, in his own way, moderated you and prevent you from getting Hon. Zailani impeached as Speaker. Now, suddenly you have become the best allies against Mallam.
“For the records, I am not opposed to proves. But I am opposed to wildcat unplanned proves without clear objectives of what we want to achieve. I believe that Mallam has his strengths and weaknesses and one of his weaknesses is being loyal to his associates. Certainly, Mal. Balarabe Lawal Abbas and you are in the front row among his associates. It is sad to see how within a short period after the exit of Mallam things have degenerated between all of you. No doubt, Mallam would have to tal<e responsibility of several things, but the fact is that it reflects your poor leadership of the state in the last one year.
“Partly because of poor leadership, the narrative is that it is the Presidency that is also covertly pushing you. It is no secret that the Presidency is opposed to Mallam, which is responsible for all the avoidable drama around Mallam’s Ministerial nomination. This is most unfortunate.”
Lukman said El-rufai’s greatest weakness is his inability to prioritise building strong relationship with people in the state.
“My hope is that, especially coming from the same party, you will be able to build on Mallam’s strength and overcome his weaknesses. Had the prove been organise as part of strategy to overcome Mallam’s weaknesses, I will support it. If that were to be the case, it will not be the House of Assembly that will initiate it.
“The Executive should have quietly initiated it by appointing a competent forensic auditor and the report would have been reviewed by the Executive and decisions taken in terms of what is to be done before escalating it to the House of Assembly. But from the way things are unfolding it is all about walking to a predetermine conclusions, which is why already, EFCC is now in the loop of the investigation.
“I am honestly worried for you. You are setting a precedence that will hurt you. All I can say is, be careful. Maximum, in the next 7 years, you will be out. You must recognise that without Mallam, it would almost have been impossible for you to rise to where you are today. The privilege of being a Governor has expiry date. In your case, if you are lucky, another seven years. But from the way things are unfolding, I believe the default expiry date of your tenure is another three years. Both you and President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu have clearly send out the worrisome signal of being anything but democrats.
Unfortunately, both President Asiwaju Tinubu and you have alienated yourselves and you are behaving as autocrats and if left uncheck whatever has been achieved under this democracy in the last twenty-five years will be destroyed. When you invited some of us to a meeting about two months ago, my hope was that you have created the handle to help correct that. Sadly, it was reduced to photo opportunity and the next thing I hear is there are people among members of the group who are threatened by the presence of some people and have exploited their closeness with you to demobilise the group.
Consequently, from a situation whereby the group was to reconvene after two weeks, more than months now, no meeting is being contemplated. This is consistent with the tradition in APC. APC is about the only political party in the world that exist without holding meetings and leaders are comfortable with that. This certainly is not the democracy we fought. Although, you claimed to be among those who fought for democracy, I am not sure from the way you are managing things, you can justify your contributions to the struggle for democracy in Nigeria.
“Mallam Uba, like I said, I am talking to you as a senior brother. The way I have been treated in the last one has pushed me to review whether I want to continue to live with the frustration of watching our hard-earned labour go down the drain. I lived all my life campaigning for a better society. It is my resolve that our current reality doesn’t project the kind of society we want.
“I have therefore made up my mind to return to the trenches and resume mobilisation for change. Unless APC and you our leaders embrace change and return to some level of sanity, this will require that we moblise and get you out of power in 2027 at all levels.
“I wish I can spare you. But given that at the end of the day politics is local, even if you accept to reform yourself but President Asiwaju Tinubu did not embrace reform, you will a collateral damage. Take it from me the campaign to defeat APC and President Asiwaju Tinubu is just starting and it will take root in Kaduna State!”
