Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed concerns over the capacity of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under President Bola Tinubu’s administration to address the nation’s challenges....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
Speaking at a conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, held in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai criticised the party’s leadership and accused the administration of targeting opposition parties for destruction.
Addressing participants at the event organized by several pro-democracy organizations, El-Rufai lamented the decline in the APC’s internal democracy.
“I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ of the APC has met for the past two years. No caucus, no NEC (National Executive Council), nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it is a zero-man show,” he said.
El-Rufai noted that the APC have veered away from its founding ideals of tackling corruption, improving the economy, and restoring security.
“The problems are still there. However, I no longer believe that my party believes in confronting those problems,” he added.
El-Rufai also raised concerns about the state of opposition parties in the country, accusing the APC-led administration of deliberately undermining them.
“The way and manner opposition political parties are being targeted for destruction and the style and quality of governance in this country today is a national emergency,” he said.
He warned that such actions could threaten Nigeria’s democracy, referencing a recent poll that revealed 75% of registered voters do not plan to participate in the 2027 elections.
“This is very dangerous, and I believe every voice must rise to fight for this democracy,” he said.
El-Rufai called for collective action to address the situation, urging Nigerians to resist any attempt to return to authoritarianism.
“For those of us in our 60s, we lived half our lives under military rule. We know what it is, and we don’t want a military rule, but we also don’t want civilians behaving like the military in their babariga (traditional Nigerian garment, often worn by men) and suits. So, this is a national emergency,” he said.
The former governor expressed concern over the perceived targeting of opposition parties in Nigeria, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“There are internal mercenaries within the PDP who have been hired, paid, or otherwise influenced to destroy the party,” he said.
He warned that the PDP was heading for collapse, describing the situation as “most unfortunate.”
El-Rufai also claimed that the Labour Party was facing similar challenges. He referred to a conversation with Peter Obi, who reportedly expressed confusion over the state of his party, saying, “I don’t know what is happening in the party that I contested for president.”
According to El-Rufai, “There seems to be a coordinated effort to dismantle all opposition political parties.”
He stressed the need for opposition groups to set aside their differences and unite under a broad coalition to counter these threats.
“We must come together, create a unified platform, and take action before the situation deteriorates further,” he said.
Early this month, the ex-governor held a “strategic meeting” with Hamza Al-Mustapha, ex-aide to the late Sani Abacha; Shehu Gabam, national chairman of the Social Democratic Party (PDP); and other politicians in the nation’s capital.
It was recalled that since 2023, there have been speculations that El-Rufai has been working to pitch his political tent elsewhere especially when could not scale through the ministerial screening hurdle.
The senate refused to confirm his nomination by President Bola Tinubu over petitions filed against him. ...CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE➤
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