A former National Vice Chairman, North West, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Salihu Lukman, has called on Nigerians to rise up and ensure the defeat of the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

Lukman, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the only way this could be achieved is if Nigerians focus on producing a functional political party that respects its own rules.

He emphasised that such a functional political party must be distinctively different from the APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, LP, New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, and all existing registered political parties in the country.

He said: “The expectations for free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria may elude Nigerians once more. Or, as was the case in 2015, we could have relatively free, fair, and credible elections in 2027, which may only result in the defeat of APC and President Bola Tinubu, with the attendant danger of retaining the status quo of producing leaders who are emperors, who would only pretentiously commit to resolving Nigeria’s challenges.

“As Nigerians, we must rise to this challenge and make the defeat of APC and President Asiwaju not only possible in 2027 but, most importantly, guarantee the election of truly democratic leaders and not emperors.

“This should be about properly organising a political party that could allow for the emergence of party leaders at all levels through internal competition.

“The practice whereby prospective candidates for election impose leaders of the party, who will in turn crown them as candidates, must change.

“Once the process of forming the new party fails to guarantee internal competition and use it to produce leaders of the party, it simply means retention of the status quo.”

Nigerians must ensure defeat of APC, Tinubu in 2027 – Lukman