The National Vice Chairman (North-west), Salihu Lukman, resigned on Wednesday.
Mr Lukman announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the Acting National Chairman of the party, Abubakar Kyari.
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His resignation came the same day the APC chairpersons in the seven states of the North-west zone endorsed a former governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, for the position of the national chairman of the party.
Mr Lukman, a former director general of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), the umbrella body of all APC governors, said in the letter of resignation that “the atmosphere in the party is completely at variance with the founding vision of forming a progressive party.
“I hereby kindly resign my position as National Vice Chairman, North-west of our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC). My resignation is with immediate effect, which becomes necessary given my conviction that the atmosphere in the party is completely at variance with the founding vision of forming a progressive party.
“Rather than remaining in the leadership of the party and becoming a source of distraction for leaders and especially for the young government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is better to excuse myself and take time off from politics.
“I will, however, retain my membership of the party in the hope that our leaders, especially President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will retract from acts that will be unjust and illegal, which is crucial to any claim of being democratic or progressive whether as politicians or as patriotic Nigerians.
“I wish to convey my sincere gratitude to our leaders in Kaduna, especially Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, for finding me worthy of nomination to serve at the highest level of the party’s leadership. I do hope all our leaders will appreciate that I am left with no option in the circumstance. I wish the party and all our leaders, especially President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu all the best and will continue to give my modest support towards the success of the party from the background,” the letter read.
The former vice chairman was at the forefront of the movement that dislodged the former National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and the National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore.
He had repeatedly accused the former leaders of mismanaging the party.
He departed from the NWC eight days after the duo were forced out of their positions.
Also, Mr Lukman is opposed to replacing Mr Adamu with Mr Ganduje.
He had openly criticised the choice of the former Kano governor and instead expressed support for retaining the chairmanship in North-central.
Mr Adamu is from the North-central, while Mr Ganduje is from the North-west, the same region that produced the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau. Mr Barau hails from Kano as Mr Ganduje.