Laraba MUREY
The former director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF,
Salihu Lukman, has pleaded to the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to take steps by blocking bad leaders like governor Yahaya Bello from emerging as standard bearer of the party for 2023 elections.
Lukman in a statement titled: “Political Leadership Recruitment” said, the case of Yahaya Bello requires some bold decisions by the APC as a party, which should include acknowledging his actions as Kogi Governor contradicts the commitment of the party for good governance.
The former DG recall 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.”
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 emerged 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 also stressed the need of investigation into the conduct of party primary in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun to determine the truth or otherwise of the allegation of corruption against Buni.
