Danger Ahead! ADC Leaders May Hijack Democracy With Surrogates – Lukman Reveals

Salihu Lukman, a former National Vice-Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and now a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has raised concerns about the threat of godfatherism within the opposition coalition.

In a statement on Tuesday titled “ADC and the Prospect of Internal Democracy,” Lukman warned that some influential figures within the coalition might attempt to dominate the party by installing their loyalists at various leadership levels.

He cautioned that Nigerians would not be fooled by superficial efforts to present the ADC as a fresh alternative if it merely replicates the practices of old parties.

According to him, “The ongoing attempts to ensure that the loyalists of prominent leaders take control of the reformed ADC sideline critical considerations such as intellectual competence, integrity, performance history, name recognition, public respect, independent thinking, and general acceptance among stakeholders—criteria we had all previously agreed upon.”

Lukman continued, “If things continue in this direction, coalition leaders risk becoming political godfathers, imposing surrogates across party structures.”

While commending Senator David Mark for facilitating the successful leadership transition in the ADC, Lukman expressed concern that many opposition figures are already manipulating the process to entrench their interests, as if the 2027 elections were a done deal.

“This manipulation is bound to lead to the selection of favored candidates well ahead of 2027,” he said. “The true test of Senator Mark’s leadership lies in his ability to resist this trend and ensure the ADC doesn’t fall into the grip of godfathers.”

Lukman concluded by noting that Nigerians are closely watching for meaningful leadership initiatives that will position the ADC as a credible platform to address the country’s pressing challenges.