Political Office Holders Must Respect Party Decisions – PGF DG

The Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman has submitted that in order to build strong political institutions, politicians must learn to respect party decisions.

This is as he also called on the All Progressives Congress (APC) to take funding the party secretariat as a serious issue as the quality of personnel affects a party’s output at the polls as well.

He argued in a statement issued in Abuja that if the party’s bureaucratic structure is strengthened ahead of the 2023 general election, political leaders will have no excuse but to commit to party proposals and recommendations.

Citing the example of recent happenings in the United States involving President Donald Trump, Lukman submitted that it is important to strengthen a country’s institution and democratic processes so no single individual will be able to turn things upside down.

“As Nigerians, we must wake up to the reality that there cannot be a strong democracy without strong political parties. Once our political leaders are unable to orient themselves to respect and recognize proposals from the party’s bureaucracy, they will be weak in respecting, recognising or working with proposals from government bureaucracies when elected to office. There is no shortcut to these issues!”, Mr Lukman noted.

Meanwhile, the Presidency on Wednesday warned the Muslim Solidarity Forum to be mindful of its utterances against the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah.

Naija News had earlier reported that the Islamic group called on Kukah to apologize over his Christmas day message or vacate Sokoto State.

The Presidency in a statement released through President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, said though the cleric has offended many with his anti-Buhari statements, under Nigeria constitution, no group must direct anyone to vacate a state but must tolerate religious and ethnic differences.

Recall that Kukah in his Christmas day message had accused President Buhari of nepotism and failure to protect Nigerians.