- Lukman said Buhari’s absence signals the end of politics powered by personal endorsements rather than voter-based mobilisation.
- He urged opposition leaders to work as a team, stressing that no single politician holds national influence anymore.
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Salihu Lukman, says former President Muhammadu Buhari’s political dominance has come to an end.
Lukman, a former national vice-chairman (north-west) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) made the statement during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday.
He said Buhari’s death marked the formal end of a political era driven by personal endorsements instead of voter engagement.
“Even before the late President Buhari died, the vacuum had already been created,” he said.
“It was quite doubtful, even before his passing, that he could influence electoral victory the way he used to.”
The ex-APC cheiftain said many northern politicians had relied on Buhari’s personal support to win elections.
“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 said the current political reality required politicians, especially those in opposition, to embrace humility, collaboration and issue-based engagement.
“We don’t have anybody with that kind of intimidating profile anymore,” he 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.”
According to him, defeating the APC or President Bola Tinubu is not the only objective of opposition leaders.
“It’s about building a new political platform that genuinely connects with citizens and offers a credible alternative,” he said.
Lukman had earlier appeared on Channels Television, where he criticised politicians for neglecting grassroots relationships during Buhari’s reign.
“They concentrated more on being in Buhari’s good books, rather than building trust and negotiating with citizens,” he said.
“Now that Buhari is no longer in the picture, politicians must listen more, engage better, and fulfil their campaign promises.”
He warned that arrogance and entitlement would no longer guarantee electoral success in the current dispensation.
“Except they want to rig, politicians must relate to citizens with a higher level of humility instead of the current arrogance,” he said.
Lukman described Buhari as one of the most influential politicians in northern Nigeria and credited him with shaping the 2013 APC merger.
“In contemporary Nigerian politics, Buhari stood out,” he said.
“His popularity helped make the APC a reality. But that era is gone. Politicians must now do the hard work.”
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