When late last week Salihu Mohammed Lukman announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and suspension of all activities in the opposition coalition that was building up in Kaduna many were curious as to what may have led to the decision given how far he had gone identifying with the bloc in the current dispensation.

Lukman, who never shies away from voicing out his feelings, gave a hint as to why he decided to leave saying it is because he could no longer tolerate what he described as hostile treatment from El-Rufai and his supporters over the leadership of the coalition 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 while further alleging that decisions concerning the coalition’s leadership in Kaduna were manipulated to sideline him, saying he had been reduced “to the status of a bastard” within a coalition he had worked to build.

He said he had spent more than a year working to reconcile and unite opposition leaders in Kaduna but had instead become the target of what he described as an orchestrated campaign 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.

The former APC chieftain said he decided to suspend both his ADC and coalition memberships because it was better “to be inactive than to continue to chase dashed expectations.”

He further alleged that former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, was engaging individuals in Kaduna whose commitment to building the ADC was questionable while ignoring those who had invested in strengthening the party’s structures.

According to him, the developments had steadily eroded his confidence in the coalition and reduced the ADC to what he described as “a marginal participant” in preparations for the 2027 general elections.

He, however, expressed appreciation to Senator David Mark and other national leaders of the coalition, saying his decision was not a protest against the party’s national leadership but against what he described as the treatment he received from El-Rufai and some coalition leaders in Kaduna.

Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Lukman was one of the prominent politicians in Kaduna to move to the opposition ADC early enough when the party was yet to attain the current level of prominence.

His supporters say having made such a huge commitment to strengthening opposition in Kaduna State, he should have been accorded due respect and recognition much more than what he was getting before his exit from the party.

“Anybody in his position would have felt bad because in the absence of El-Rufai, he should have been de facto leader of the ADC and rallying point of the opposition,” said an ADC member in Kaduna who does not want to be named.

Sources close to former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, have said there are other issues that the former ADC leader has not disclosed.

They linked the development to a rather long-running political disagreement between El-rufai and Lukman saying the former governor had played some major roles in Lukman’s political career and rejected claims that he was responsible for Lukman’s problems in the ADC.

A former member of El-Rufai’s cabinet, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, said the relationship between the two politicians dates back to the 2014 APC governorship primary in Kaduna State.

According to the source, Lukman contested against El-Rufai for the APC governorship ticket but lost the primary election.

The source said despite the contest, El-Rufai later supported Lukman’s appointment as Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF).

“He contested against Malam in the 2014 primary, but after the election Malam still supported him to become Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum,” the source said.

The source also claimed that El-Rufai later backed Lukman’s emergence as APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), even though he had initially wanted the position to go to a female politician.

“I was at the meeting where Malam said he preferred a woman for the North-West vice chairmanship. But he later agreed to nominate Lukman and he got the position.

“That is why I was surprised when I heard him blaming El-Rufai for what happened to him in the ADC,” the source said.

The source said although El-Rufai later became unhappy with Lukman’s performance as Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum and later as APC North-West Vice Chairman, he never worked against him publicly.

He said the latest disagreement started after the opposition coalition adopted the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the office of ADC North-West Zonal Vice Chairman became vacant after Jafaru Sani resigned to contest the party’s governorship primary in Kaduna State. Sani later lost the ticket to the party’s candidate, Isa Mohammed Ashiru.

According to the source, many expected Lukman to be appointed into the vacant position because he was among the early members of the coalition leaders and many of them, including Ashiru, reached out to El-Rufai and some of his close associates over the replacement.

However, instead of backing Lukman, El-Rufai nominated his former Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Hafsat Mohammed Baba, who was later appointed as the ADC North-West Zonal Vice Chairperson.

“He was contacted about the replacement, but he nominated Hafsat Baba because she is someone he trusts and has remained loyal over the years,” the source said.

He added that Ashiru announced Hafsat Baba’s appointment on his verified Facebook page before Lukman released his statement suspending his membership of the ADC and the coalition.

According to the source, the timing led many political observers to believe that Lukman was unhappy because he was not chosen for the position.

“This is why many people believe he left the party after he was not considered for the office,” he said. Daily Trust couldn’t independently verify this claim.

But Another ally of El-Rufai told Daily Trust that political appointments are often based on loyalty.

“In politics, loyalty matters. Those who stand by you are usually the ones given important responsibilities,” he said.

An ADC chieftain in Kaduna North Local Government Area, Zubairu Shanuna said Lukman was one of the early members of the opposition coalition members and many believed he would eventually get the ADC North-West vice chairmanship after the position became vacant.

Shanuna, however, claimed that Lukman later had disagreements with some coalition members in Kaduna and attempted to reconnect with El-Rufai’s political camp, but the relationship was never fully restored.

“When Jafaru Sani left the position, many people thought Lukman or Bashir Saidu would be nominated. Instead, El-Rufai chose Hafsat Baba because she is one of his most trusted loyalists,” Shanuna said.

He added that Lukman’s exit would not have much impact on the ADC in Kaduna State.

“He does not control any major political structure in Kaduna, including in his hometown of Zaria. His exit will not weaken the party,” Shanuna said.

But in his resignation letter addressed to ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, Lukman blamed his decision on what he described as persistent hostile treatment by El-Rufai and his associates.

He alleged that decisions affecting the coalition in Kaduna were manipulated to sideline him despite his efforts to build and unite the opposition in the state.

He also accused some coalition leaders of abandoning the democratic values they once promoted and expressed concern over the direction of the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, some concerned ADC members in Kaduna State have distanced themselves from Lukman’s position, saying his letter did not represent the views of the party in the state.

In a rejoinder signed by Abubakar Danjuma, the group said Lukman did not have the political structure to speak on behalf of the ADC in Kaduna and urged the party’s national leadership to disregard his claims.

The group reaffirmed its support for the leadership of Senator David Mark and insisted that the ADC in Kaduna remained united despite the disagreement.

Efforts by Daily Trust to get Lukman’s reaction to claims that he left the ADC after failing to secure the North-West vice chairmanship were unsuccessful. Calls to his telephone line were not answered, while text and WhatsApp messages sent to him had not been replied to as of the time of filing this report. (Daily Trust)