The Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, PGF Mr Salihu Lukman says Nigerian political leaders must develop the capacity to correct wrong actions in order to deepen the country’s democracy and move the nation forward.
The PGF boss, who stated this in a press release said the opportunity to have internal debates and correct wrong actions are part of the values that define Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He called on other political parties to help the country’s democracy by addressing their failures.
“There will be many instances of possibility that our leaders and our party may take wrong decision. Our capacity to correct those wrong decisions is what our politics require and not some fantasies. No amount of declaration, whether with reference to values or ideology can develop our politics, our parties, our democracy and our nation.
It is our capacity to get things done and especially get wrong actions corrected that can develop our politics, our party, our democracy and our nation.
“The issue of Mr. Fani-Kayode’s drifted attempt to join the APC is a clear instance of attempts to manipulate some of our leaders into accepting membership of someone who ought not to have been considered as member of our party. If that was the case in the past, it is better late than never to correct such a mistake.
“As party members, we were able to rise up to the challenge of engaging our leaders. Fortunately, we are able to gain the respect of our leaders and surely, moving forward, issues of who qualifies to be a member of our party will be clarified unambiguously. May be this could challenge the PDP and other parties in Nigeria to begin to address issues related to their failings. It is a process, not a once off action,” he said.
Mr. Lukman added that for the to be positive societal change in the country, Nigerians need to move past, rhetorics, sycophantic support for leaders and the mindset of using political parties solely to gain power.
“Being privileged people, able to articulate our position, most times we reduced these issues to some literary vocation. Almost in the passion of school debates, it become just a matter for or against our leaders. Politics require much more than that. If I want to be trusted, I must earn it and perhaps the best way to earn it is to be able to risk trusting others.
“As activist who have spent all our lives in the business of advocacy for societal change, we need to be courageous to engage these issues with a commitment to produce some practical responses no matter how little in our national politics,” Lukman said.
