Former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has announced the suspension of his membership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and withdrawal from the opposition coalition, citing irreconcilable differences with key figures in Kaduna State.
Lukman disclosed the development in a message sent to ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and copied to prominent coalition leaders.
The former APC chieftain said he could no longer endure what he described as sustained hostility from former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and members of his political camp over the management of coalition affairs in Kaduna.
According to him, despite investing considerable time and effort over the past year to bring opposition leaders together and strengthen the coalition’s structure in the state, he found himself increasingly isolated and sidelined.
He alleged that decisions regarding the coalition’s leadership and operations in Kaduna were being taken in a manner designed to exclude him, leaving him with little influence in a movement he helped nurture.
Lukman said the situation had reached a point where remaining in the coalition was no longer worthwhile.
He noted that stepping back from both the ADC and the coalition was preferable to remaining active in an environment where his contributions were neither recognised nor valued.
The former APC vice chairman also expressed concern about what he viewed as a growing disconnect between the coalition’s public message and its internal practices.
He argued that some leaders who had criticised undemocratic tendencies in other political parties were now exhibiting similar behaviour within the coalition.
Lukman further accused former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi of engaging with individuals in Kaduna whose loyalty to the ADC project was uncertain, while neglecting party members who had worked to build the organisation from the grassroots.
He said the developments had diminished his confidence in the coalition’s ability to emerge as a credible political force ahead of the 2027 elections, adding that the ADC was gradually being pushed to the margins of opposition politics.
While announcing his withdrawal, Lukman praised Senator David Mark and other national leaders of the coalition for their efforts, stressing that his decision was not directed at the party’s national leadership.
Rather, he said it was a response to what he described as persistent marginalisation by El-Rufai and some influential figures within the coalition in Kaduna State.