By Emmanuel Mogbede
Dr Salihu Lukman, All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice-Chairman, North-West, says the party is not trying to exclude some people in terms of religion, ethnicity or any other sentiment.
He said when he spoke with newsmen on Friday in Abuja after a consultative closed-door meeting of the party`s North-West stakeholders.
Lukman was speaking on the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for 2023 general elections.
“Our party, the APC is not working to exclude any category, whether in terms of religion, ethnicity or any other sentiment.
“I think we have to be very honest to ourselves, it is true that people have concerns and those concerns are not being dismissed.
“To the best of my knowledge, all the party`s leaders have acknowledged the concerns; when you take a decision, certainly there will be people that will be at the receiving end,” he said.
Lukman, also the immediate past Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), said that the party’s decision was influenced by the Nigerian project.
“We have taken a decision to produce candidates and those candidates to the best of my knowledge, are about the Nigerian project,’’ he said.
This, he said, was played out at the formal unveiling of Sen. Kashim Shettima, a former two-term governor of Borno as the party`s Vice-President Candidate.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shettima currently represents Borno Central at the National Assembly.
“They are about the Nigerian project, they are not fake project and that is the emphasis and I think as a nation, we need to look much more positive.
“That am Salihu Lukman does not mean am against a Festus, or a Bankole,’’ Lukman the APC North-West Vice-chairman said.
He expressed optimism that as the party and the North-West zone moved toward 2023 general elections, things would become clearer.
He assured that the North-West reconciliation committee would take forward the business of reconciling aggrieved members of the party in each state in the zone.
Lukman said that the committee had resolved to constitute a state working committee in each state of the zone to meet with party leaders and aggrieved members.
He added that the essence was to reconcile them before the 2023 general elections electioneering campaign.
On the recent defection of some members of the party, especially in Kaduna State to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Lukman said the development was being studied.
While saying that Kaduna and Katsina States remained outstanding in the zone, Lukman said a fact finding committee would visit the two states soon.
“This will be one of the issues we will look at, to see what really transpired and see what steps we need to take. Politics is all about contest.
“Disagreement is part of politics, you can`t have political contest without disagreement, as a party, what we are trying to do is to ensure that business of reconciliation is our permanent business,’’ he said.(NAN)
