Fayemi: Lukman Was Sacked as PGF DG Because of His Criticisms

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

A former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said the former Director General of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, was sacked by the governors elected on the platform of the party due to his criticisms.

He added that the former National Vice Chairman, North-west of the party was eased out of office when the governors could no longer stomach his excesses.

Fayemi made this known yesterday in Abuja at launch of a blood titled: “APC and Transition Politics”  authored by Lukman.

According to him, “More  often than not, some of us who are close to him are at the receiving end when Lukman writes.

“I remember in his days as the Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, every time he writes and former Governor Ganduje will remember this in our various meetings at the forum, somebody gets accused by his own colleague as the architect who brought Lukman into the Progressives Governors’ Forum and I am the one.”

Giving his keynote address, a leader of Afenifere Renewal Group, Mr. Olawale Oshun, said the country’s democracy should evolve such that it was the political party as an institution that should be in a position to determine succession commencing from the lowest strata of governance to the highest strata.

“I don’t know who will succeed me, but I know who will not” should never again hold sway in the country.

“Why can’t Nigerian rulers or elected leaders play their part, and leave office believing that the political party that threw them up will also throw up another good material? Why must anyone no matter how powerful be the one to determine his successor?” Olawale queried.

On his part, Lukman said one of the driving forces for him was to stimulate discussion within the party and hopefully get the party leaders to own it and mainstream it into the structures of the party.

“That His Excellency,  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is now the National Chairman, after all, and including all that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has reflected on, even after all I have canvassed publicly, it is a clear demonstration of the fact that this party (APC) had a clear future.

“What is required is to try and give critical support to all our leaders so that they can revive all the structures of the party,” he said.