BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
DIRECTOR-GENERAL of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Salihu Moh. Lukman, has maintained his position on the widely reported planned defection of former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, to the All Progressives Congress, saying only those with the right credentials should be admitted into the party.
He specifically said that the former minister’s “drifted” move to join the APC was a clear instance of attempts to manipulate some of the leaders of the ruling party into accepting membership of someone who should not be considered.
The DG, who had, earlier in the week, released a statement opposing the planned defection of Fani-Kayode from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC in strong terms, made his latest comments in a statement titled, “APC and the Question of Values”.
Recall that after Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State had declared publicly that Fani-Kayode had defected to the ruling party, the former minister released a statement indicating that he had not left his party, the PDP.
Lukman, however, commended party members who insisted that the PDP chieftain was not welcome in APC, saying he lacked the necessary values to be a member.
“The issue of Mr Fani-Kayode’s drifted attempt to join the APC is a clear instance of attempts to manipulate some of our leaders into accepting membership of someone who ought not to have been considered a member of our party. If that was the case in the past, it is better late than never to correct such a mistake,” he said.
Reacting to critics who claimed that APC had no guiding values, he added, “Without going into details, the capacity to test a wide range of political options assisted to create the needed confidence for merger negotiations of our opposition parties in 2012/2013 that led to the emergence of APC.
“It is important to recognise that for leaders of our legacy parties to successfully negotiate the merger, it meant that they were responsive to the reality that without being able to merge they can’t win the election at the national level.
“You can say that the negotiation only produces instrument for capturing power. What is wrong with that? Would you have rather preferred APC or any preferred party becoming a permanently defeated party? That APC is succeeding in capturing power is the reason why we are having this debate.
“It is far more encouraging to engage the debate, on our part as APC members, because the party is succeeding in winning elections if you like capturing power. Is there any successful political party anywhere in the world that is not an instrument of capturing power?
“If your pain is that APC is emerging as a successful political party, the best advice one can give is that those who are opposed to APC should work hard to produce the party that can defeat the APC.”
Apparently referring to the defection issue, Lukman said he was proud to have his voice guaranteed and affirmed by his leaders in APC.
He said, “As an employee of Governors, it has been a privileged opportunity to speak out openly on matters within the purview of leadership initiative. Rather than my leaders, including our Governors, relating to me as a subordinate who should only take instructions, they recognise and respect my views as a loyal member of the party.
“Part of the responsibility this imposes is that we should be able to speak out to protect and defend our leaders and our party.”
