Lukman Quits ADC Coalition, Cites El-Rufai’s ‘Hostile Treatment’
Former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has suspended his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the opposition coalition, citing sustained hostility from former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and his political associates.
In a message addressed to ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and copied to coalition leaders, Lukman explained that his decision followed months of what he described as orchestrated marginalisation over the leadership and direction of the party in Kaduna State. “This may come to you as a disappointment. I am very sorry. I just can’t continue to bear the painful hostile treatment I keep getting from some leaders from Kaduna, especially Mallam Nasir,” he wrote.
Lukman alleged that decisions concerning leadership representation in Kaduna were being manipulated to sideline him, claiming he had been reduced “to the status of a bastard” within a coalition he had worked hard to build. He said he had devoted more than a year to reconciling and uniting opposition leaders in Kaduna, only to become the target of what he described as an orchestrated campaign led by El-Rufai and his supporters. “For Mallam Nasir and his people, I am the problem. I have decided to resolve the problem for them and everyone,” he said.
Announcing the suspension of both his ADC and coalition memberships, Lukman stated it was preferable “to be inactive than to continue to chase dashed expectations”. He also questioned the coalition’s commitment to democratic values, accusing some leaders of reproducing the same political practices they had once criticised. He further alleged that former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, was engaging individuals in Kaduna whose commitment to building the ADC was questionable while disregarding those who had invested in strengthening the party’s structures.
According to Lukman, these developments have steadily diminished his confidence in the coalition and reduced the ADC to what he described as “a marginal participant” in preparations for the 2027 elections. He expressed gratitude to Senator David Mark and other national leaders, insisting that his action was not a protest against the party’s national leadership but against what he described as disdainful treatment from El-Rufai and a small group of coalition leaders in Kaduna.