The Northern Youth Network on Peace (NYNP) has dismissed Dr. Salihu Lukman’s recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration as “farcical interventions” that should not be taken seriously.

The group expressed concern about Lukman’s mental health, citing his “confused interventions” and “baseless” assertions about the opposition’s preparedness for the 2027 elections.

According to a statement signed by Comrade Adaji Adaji Ajibili, Lukman’s comments are a desperate attempt to distract Nigerians from President Tinubu’s tangible progress and development in various sectors, including economic reforms and infrastructural development.

Ajibili praised President Tinubu’s leadership, saying he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the Nigerian people.

“The Northern Youth Network on Peace has noted the increasingly farcical interventions of the itinerant politician and a former National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Salihu Lukman, making us worried about his mental health,” the statement said.

“Things have gotten to a point where Nigerians should no longer take Lukman seriously as those who still see substance in his statements on national matters do so at their peril, especially given his latest intervention tutoring the opposition on how to conduct their affairs.

“Given his confused interventions, Lukman had become an entity whose comments should be used as closing credits in comedy shows, but his statement that asked opposition leaders to develop an alternative political platform by December 2024 if they were to wrestle power from President Bola Tinubu and the APC is the last straw that confirmed that he needed urgent evaluation to ascertain his mental health.

“In addition to struggling to understand what prompted Lukman’s latest episode, we wonder if he was referring to the same President Tinubu, whose reforms have set the country on the path to doing things the right way. His assertions are not only baseless but also reflect a profound misunderstanding of the political landscape and the achievements of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.”

The Northern Youth Network on Peace urged Nigerians to ignore Lukman’s rants, which they believe reflect his personal ambitions rather than national interest.

Ajibili appealed to President Tinubu to disregard Lukman’s comments, emphasizing that he speaks only for himself and does not represent the sentiments and beliefs of the North.

The statement added: “We had expected the opposition – the political parties that Lukman listed in his rant – to have publicly disowned him by now so that Nigerians would not tempted to rate their value by Lukman’s infantile disposition. An impression that Lukman is their new spokesperson would also paint the opposition as desperate, which would be credited to their reliance on his baseless criticisms rather than presenting a coherent and viable alternative.

“We urge Nigerians to take note of Lukman’s focus on personal ambitions over national interest, which indicates his inability to offer anything meaningful to national discourse. All he is doing is bellyaching over not being allocated public office after the divisive role he played in the past.

“The Northern Youth Network on Peace appeals to President Tinubu not to at any point in time attach any relevance to Dr Salihu Lukman’s rant as he speaks only for himself and in no way represents the sentiments and beliefs of the North. President Tinubu remains the contemporary leader capable of leading Nigeria to greater heights, and we will not be distracted by the unfounded claims of disgruntled individuals.”