Salihu Lukman Suspends ADC Membership Due to El-Rufai’s ‘Hostile Treatment’
Salihu Lukman Suspends ADC Membership Due to El-Rufai’s ‘Hostile Treatment’
Salihu Lukman, a former vice-chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he has suspended his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Newera News learnt that Lukman, in a statement addressed to David Mark, ADC national chairman, said he could no longer endure what he termed “painful hostile treatment” from Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna.
Lukman said he has been consistently sidelined regarding leadership representation in Kaduna, leaving him feeling “reduced to the status of a bastard”.
“I will spend some time reflecting and deciding what I want to do with my life. My expectation that we will build the ADC into a strong Democratic Party has been diminished,” the statement reads.
“For many coalition leaders, the objective of rescuing our democracy is just about allowing them to have their way even when their actions are to reproduce the old habits that destroyed our former parties. Consequently, the party, ADC, is incrementally being reduced to a marginal participant in the 2027 elections.
“I have spent more than a year trying to unite leaders in Kaduna. For Mallam Nasir and his people, I am the problem. I have decided to resolve the problem for them and everyone. I have suspended my membership of the party and the coalition because of the reasons above.
“It is better to be inactive than to continue to chase dashed expectations. For now, I will appeal to you and all leaders of the party and the coalition to please respect my decision on this matter.”
Lukman also accused Rotimi Amaechi, Vice-Presidential candidate of the ADC, of associating with party members who are not loyal to the party.
“Already, I can see that HE Amaechi is in overdrive mode and is reaching out to people from Kaduna with questionable commitment,” he said.
“Whatever he wants to do with them is certainly not about building the party into a strong Democratic Party, which is why the views of those of us from Kaduna don’t matter. This is disrespectful, and I wish him good luck.”
Lukman added that his decision to suspend his membership of the ADC does not affect his official relationship with Mark and other ADC leaders.
“But it has everything to do with the disdainful treatment being meted out to me by a few coalition leaders, especially Mallam Nasir and his supporters in Kaduna. I am sorry, I can’t continue.”
Lukman, a former director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), quit the APC in 2024.
