Salihu Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has voiced serious doubts regarding the financial management practices under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, suggesting that multiple budgets are currently in operation at the same time.
In a recent interview, Lukman, known for his critical stance on the current administration, warned that managing various budgets simultaneously could pave the way for increased corruption in Nigeria.
“This is unprecedented; we are witnessing a scenario where two or even three budgets are being executed at the federal level. This raises the likelihood of corruption significantly,” Lukman asserted, although he did not present concrete evidence to back his claims.
Additionally, Lukman criticized the ruling party for its failure to effectively tackle the nation’s urgent challenges, especially in terms of security.
He pointed out that despite the APC’s earlier commitments to combat corruption, rejuvenate the economy, and enhance security, the circumstances have worsened since Tinubu took office.
“Back in 2014-2015, we pledged to confront economic issues, corruption, and insecurity. At that time, Boko Haram was the predominant threat. Now, we also face the rise of banditry,” Lukman elaborated.
Moreover, he expressed his dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s governance, implying that the current leadership style is a stark contrast to Tinubu’s approach when he was in charge of Lagos State.
“The Asiwaju who led Lagos is not the same Asiwaju overseeing Nigeria today; I believe he lacks the right advisors,” he remarked.
Lukman concluded by suggesting that there is little difference between the ruling and opposition parties, indicating that Nigeria essentially has a political landscape where politicians behave uniformly, rather than having distinct parties with unique ideologies.
