By Joshua Omoloye, Abuja
Immediate past Director General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman on Tuesday said he has officially notified his employer, the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) of his decision to vacate office.
While insisting on maintaining his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Lukman promised to offer advise to the Forum when the need arises.
He said he has formally tendered his resignation letter to chairman of the body and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu,
This was revealed in a letter dated February 1, 2022 and referenced, ‘Resignation from PGF – Appreciation’ addressed to the APC Press Corp Chairman, Jide Orintunsin on Tuesday.
“This is to formally inform you that since Monday, January 17 2022, I have submitted my notice of resignation to the PGF Chairman, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.
“Based on the notice, my tenure as the Director General, a responsibility I have been privileged to hold since August 2013, will be terminating effective, February 16, 2022. I have already submitted report of my tenure to the Chairman and requested permission to proceed on leave.
“I have conveyed my personal gratitude for the opportunity to serve the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), which was a rare privilege to have served three generations of Governors elected on the platform of our party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
“During the period, I have had the honor to work with about 66 Governors, with whom I was able to develop close working relations. During the period of service as Director General, although not a functionary or official of any government, I enjoyed good working relations of all functionaries of State Governments.
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“In particular, all the successes we may have recorded in the area of public engagement wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the APC Press Corp.
“I want to sincerely thank everyone for all the support. Therefore, as I depart from the PGF, I want to emphatically state that I leave with good memories and gratitude. Although I am leaving PGF, I will remain committed to defending all the values which the Forum represents,” he stated.
He further stressed, “I will remain a very active member of our party and will continue to work for its successes, especially based on the objective of achieving vision of the party as encapsulated in its slogan of CHANGE as provided in Article 4 of our party Constitution.
“I have absolute confidence that my exit from PGF will strengthen the unity of Forum members and eventually enhance growth of our party. I will continue with my advocacy work to engage all our party leaders, including Forum members in my private capacity as an ordinary party member.
“In other words, I will return to my old role as an advocate for change without official responsibility. In discharging that responsibility, I will continue to respect all our party leaders, in the hope that party leaders, including Forum members will be tolerant to criticisms.
“I thank you, for the opportunity to work with you and serve our party, and by extension, our dear country. It is a relationship that I hope will continue,” the letter stated.
The former Director General of the APC Governors’ Forum resigned at the peak of controversy surrounding his outburst and advised, which is considered in some quarters as anti – party, thereby leading to call for his sack by some APC members
He was said to have divided the forum’s last meeting where some members wanted him to resign over his calling for resignation of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) chairman and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni’s inability to conduct a national convention of the party.
