A former National Vice Chairman North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman has tackled President Bola Tinubu over the decision to remove Senator Ali Ndume as the Chief Whip of the Senate.

According to Lukman, removing Ndume was an indication that President Bola Tinubu has resolved to do one term in office.

Recall that on Wednesday, Ndume was removed as Chief Whip of the Senate and replaced with Senator Tahir Monguno following a directive contained in a letter sent to the APC Caucus in the Senate signed by APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje and National Secretary, Senator Basiru Ajibola, over alleged rabid outbursts against the president.

Lukman, in a statement issued Thursday titled, “Fanatical Mindset,” lamented that everything is being done to suspend free speech in the country, adding that it was almost as if the country were back in the Abacha era, or even worse.

The former APC chieftain said as it is, personal liberties of citizens are being threatened, fair hearing is no longer guaranteed, stressing that the country has democracy without democrats.

He said there was nowhere in APC Constitution where the National Chairman, National Secretary, or any official, or even the National Working Committee, is given the powers to summarily remove any principal officer of the National Assembly

He said it was a shame that the APC Senate Caucus would permit such an act of illegality, adding that by doing so, they have set a precedent that would further erode the independence of the National Assembly

Lukman: “The way things are, it is almost as if President Asiwaju Tinubu has resolved that he will only be a one term President. Under his watch, the living conditions of Nigerians is continuously getting worse. Instead of making effort to develop clear plans to address the situation, the government is becoming more intolerant to criticism.

“Any democracy that cannot accommodate criticism is no democracy. A democracy that subverts fair hearing is a dictatorship. A democracy that permits a ruling party to demobilise its organs and inadvertently expels its members is worse than a military government.”

“So long as APC, its leadership and Asiwaju Tinubu’s government have taken the self-destructive path, which is equivalent to a declaration of working end their tenure in 2027, patriotic Nigerians must help them to ensure their defeat in 2027!”