Always on the Move: What Next for Salihu Lukman?

Former National Vice Chairman (North West) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, may have announced only the suspension of his membership of the party and the opposition coalition. But the decision has once again drawn attention to a political career defined by a series of high profile departures from organisations where he […]

Former National Vice Chairman (North West) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, may have announced only the suspension of his membership of the party and the opposition coalition. But the decision has once again drawn attention to a political career defined by a series of high profile departures from organisations where he once played influential roles.

Lukman, in a letter addressed to ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, blamed former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, for the “persistent hostility” over the leadership of the coalition in Kaduna State.

“This may come to you as a disappointment. I am very sorry. I just can’t continue to bear the painful hostile treatment I keep getting from some leaders from Kaduna, especially Mallam Nasir,” he wrote.

He alleged that decisions concerning the coalition in Kaduna had been manipulated to sideline him, adding that he had become “the problem” in the eyes of El Rufai and his associates.

“I have decided to resolve the problem for them and everyone,” he said, explaining that he would rather become politically inactive than continue “to chase dashed expectations.”

The development is significant not only because Lukman was one of the leading promoters of the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, but also because it extends a pattern that has characterised much of his political journey over the last decade.

Unlike many Nigerian politicians who built their careers through elective office, Lukman established himself as an activist, policy advocate and party strategist.

He was active in the pro-democracy movement before becoming one of the prominent figures in the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the parties that merged in 2013 to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Following the merger, he emerged as Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), a position that placed him at the centre of policy coordination among APC governors.

It was during this period that he became one of the ruling party’s most outspoken internal critics, frequently publishing memoranda and open letters urging the leadership to uphold internal democracy and the progressive ideals upon which the APC was founded.

His first major political exit came in January 2022 when he resigned as Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum after months of disagreements over the conduct of the APC national convention and the management of internal party affairs.

Although he left the position, Lukman maintained that his concern was never about holding office but about preserving the integrity of the party and its democratic structures.

Barely 18 months later, another resignation followed.

In July 2023, he stepped down as APC National Vice Chairman (North West), citing the party’s growing departure from its founding ideals.

He accused the leadership of failing to convene statutory meetings, weakening internal democratic processes and concentrating decision making in the hands of a few individuals.

Before his resignation, Lukman had openly challenged the APC leadership through public interventions and legal actions aimed at compelling the party to comply with its constitution.

The disagreements eventually culminated in his resignation from the party’s National Working Committee.

His exit from the APC leadership was followed by an even bigger political decision.

In June 2024, Lukman formally resigned from the APC itself, declaring that the ruling party had become impossible to reform from within.

He argued that the party no longer reflected the values upon which it was established and lamented the “shrinking internal democracy and intolerance for dissenting opinions”.

Rather than retreat from politics, Lukman said he threw himself into efforts to forge a broad opposition alliance capable of challenging the APC in the 2027 elections.

He working alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El Rufai and other opposition figures.

He became one of the key drivers of negotiations that eventually produced the coalition which adopted the ADC as its platform.

The coalition presented itself as a platform committed to internal democracy, inclusiveness and political reforms.

Ironically, those are the same principles Lukman now says have been compromised.

His latest decision to suspend his membership of the ADC came with familiar complaints.

He accused some coalition leaders of manipulating the party’s leadership structure in Kaduna State, sidelining those who invested in building the party and replicating the same political practices they had previously condemned.

He also alleged that some leaders had reduced the ADC to a marginal participant in preparations for the 2027 elections.

A review of Lukman’s political journey reveals striking similarities in virtually all his major departures.

Whether resigning from the Progressive Governors Forum, leaving the APC National Working Committee, quitting the APC or now suspending his membership of the ADC, the reasons advanced have remained largely consistent.

On each occasion, he cited weakened internal democracy, concentration of authority, abandonment of agreed reforms, marginalisation and loss of confidence in party leadership.
The pattern has generated divergent interpretations.

Supporters argue that Lukman has demonstrated uncommon consistency by repeatedly sacrificing influential positions rather than compromising on principles.
To them, his departures reflect commitment to democratic ideals rather than political convenience.

Critics, however, contend that while Lukman has earned respect as an intellectual and reform advocate, his repeated exits raise questions about his ability to sustain political alliances whenever disagreements arise.

His latest suspension of ADC membership has therefore reopened an old conversation.