Salihu Lukman, a former member of the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) National Working Committee (NWC), urged President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday to look into and settle the political dispute between National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje of the party and former presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Lukman said Tinubu and APC chieftains should resolve the political dispute and possibly negotiate a merger with the NNPP.
In a statement he signed, Lukman said a possible merger is needed to grow the APC support base in Kano.
The APC chieftain advised Tinubu and the party’s leadership against limiting the political challenges facing the party in Kano to the bribery allegation against Ganduje.
He said: “Being progressives requires honesty, which given the current political reality, we must accept that Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his NNPP have a stronger support base in Kano State.
“Noting that Sen. Kwankwaso was in our party up to 2018; and acknowledging that between 1999 and 2019 both Sen. Kwankwaso and Dr. Ganduje worked together, we need to revisit issues surrounding their disagreement.
“On no account should APC leaders limit the engagement of issues surrounding all the political challenges facing us as a party to only the issue of bribery allegation against Dr. Ganduje.
“If this means another round of negotiation for political alliance or a merger with Sen. Kwankwaso and NNPP, our leaders should proceed to act accordingly. President Tinubu and the APC must take full advantage of the current reality to renegotiate the support base of the APC.
“Renegotiating the support base of the APC should also be about reigniting the progressive credentials of the APC.”