Prominent member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Salihu Lukman, has said the political era in which candidates relied heavily on the influence and popularity of former President Muhammadu Buhari is now over.
Buhari passed away on Sunday in a London clinic after a prolonged illness and was buried on Tuesday at his residence in Daura, Katsina State.
During an appearance on Arise Television on Wednesday, Lukman reflected on the late president’s influence, saying his passing marks a turning point in Nigeria’s political landscape. “Even before the late President Buhari died, the vacuum had already been created,” Lukman stated. “It was quite doubtful, even before his passing, that he could influence electoral victory the way he used to.”
Lukman, a former APC national vice-chairman (North-West), argued that many northern politicians had grown too dependent on Buhari’s backing rather than engaging meaningfully with voters. “I know, being from the north, that many politicians looked forward to Buhari raising their hands,” he said. “That gesture translated almost directly into victory in many places. And that, in a way, made politicians lazy.”
He stressed that the current political reality demands a different approach, particularly for opposition parties. “We don’t have anybody with that kind of intimidating profile anymore,” Lukman said. “What that means is that all leaders of the coalition need to be humble and acknowledge their dependence on one another. That’s how to build the teamwork we need to succeed.”
He added that defeating the ruling APC or President Bola Tinubu should not be the sole objective. “It’s about building a new political platform that genuinely connects with citizens and offers a credible alternative,” he said.
Lukman refers to Buhari as one of Northern popular politicians
In a separate interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Lukman criticised politicians who, during Buhari’s era, focused more on currying favour with the president than establishing real ties with the electorate. “They concentrated more on being in Buhari’s good books, rather than building trust and negotiating with citizens,” he noted. “Now that Buhari is no longer in the picture, politicians must listen more, engage better, and fulfil their campaign promises.”
He warned that entitlement and elite backing would no longer guarantee electoral success. “Except they want to rig, politicians must relate to citizens with a higher level of humility instead of the current arrogance,” Lukman cautioned.
Describing Buhari as “one of the most popular politicians in northern Nigeria,” Lukman acknowledged the late president’s pivotal role in shaping modern Nigerian politics. “His popularity helped make the APC a reality,” he said. “But that era is gone. Politicians must now do the hard work.”
