A prominent Northern political leader and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mallam Salihu Lukman, has leveled a heavy accusation of regional betrayal against former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In a scathing open letter titled “You Can’t Run Away From Yourself,” Lukman portrayed the former governor as a leader who has consistently prioritized personal aggrandizement over the collective survival and political stability of the North. Lukman’s outburst follows reports that Kwankwaso is already plotting to dump the ADC—a party he joined only six weeks ago—to pursue a fresh realignment with Peter Obi.
‘ Self-Absorbed Ambition’
Lukman, the former National Vice Chairman of the APC, expressed “trauma” over Kwankwaso’s perceived political nomadism, describing him as a leader “self-absorbed in personal ambition” while being “inconsiderate of the stark harsh realities facing Nigerians,” particularly in the North.
The ADC chieftain suggested that Kwankwaso’s latest move is the climax of a pattern of sabotage. He revealed that as far back as June 2024, Kwankwaso had deliberately stalled the progress of a unified opposition front, insisting on “slowing down” the process until 2026—a move critics now see as a strategic delay to keep the region’s political alternatives fragmented.
Dismantling Northern Unity
The letter detailed the painstaking efforts of a coalition committee, led by Senator Liyel Imoke and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, which spent years vetting parties to create a formidable platform for the North and the nation. By threatening to exit this hard-won structure for another “personal experiment,” Kwankwaso is accused of destabilizing the very foundation of Northern opposition unity.
“Why will you have to go outside ADC to emerge as a Presidential candidate?” Lukman asked, highlighting that the platform was already rebranded and legally fortified specifically to host a unified challenge. He further lambasted Kwankwaso for entertaining fears about facing Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in a fair primary, calling such excuses “unfair” and a sign of political weakness.
With Kwankwaso approaching the age of 70, Lukman warned that the former governor is trading his chance at a “positive political legacy” for a “self-centred” pursuit of power.
The framing of the letter suggests that in the eyes of his peers, Kwankwaso’s vacillation is no longer seen as strategic maneuvering, but as a direct betrayal of the millions of Northerners who require stable, selfless leadership to navigate the current national crisis. By jumping from the NNPP to the ADC and now eyeing another exit, Lukman argues that Kwankwaso is “diminishing” himself and abandoning his responsibility to facilitate a new political orientation for the country.
