Executive Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El-Rufai speaks during an interview with Reuters in Kaduna, Nigeria November 1, 2016. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde - S1BEUKTKGYAA
…Sani, Ex-PDP Spokesperson Disagree
The Presidency has accused former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, of attempting to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
El-Rufai, speaking at the National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria in Abuja on Monday, criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) for failing to fulfill its promises. He insisted his criticisms were meant to push for reforms within the party, not to abandon it.
“I am not leaving the APC. I don’t have such plans… No, no, no. I only want them to change,” he stated.
Describing Nigeria’s governance and opposition as being in a “national emergency,” he blamed the country’s democratic struggles on what he called “illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people” in leadership.
“I no longer recognize the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show. You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today,” he said.
El-Rufai reflected on the APC’s original mission—to fight corruption, rebuild the economy, and improve security—arguing that these goals had been abandoned.
“The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them. The distance between me and the party is widening,” he added.
He urged opposition parties to form a broad coalition to challenge the ruling party and protect democracy.
“There are internal mercenaries in the PDP, hired and motivated to destroy the party. The Labour Party is also facing similar issues. Peter Obi himself told me, ‘I don’t know what’s happening in the party I contested with. There seems to be a deliberate project to destroy opposition parties,’” El-Rufai said.
Citing a poll suggesting that 75% of registered voters might abstain from the 2027 elections, he warned of an impending crisis.
“This is dangerous. For those of us who lived under military rule, we know what it is. We don’t want military rule, but we also don’t want civilians behaving like the military in their babanriga and suits,” he warned.
In response, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Policy Communication, accused El-Rufai of plotting against the government he helped form.
On his X handle, Bwala questioned whether El-Rufai would have made the same remarks if he were part of the administration.
“My senior brother, if you were in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples. It is a government you participated in forming, that you now want to unseat,” Bwala wrote.
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, also criticized El-Rufai, accusing him of hypocrisy.
“The man with a history of undisguised intolerance to opposition and a hypersensitive allergy to criticisms has no moral and saintly feet to stand on the pulpit of democracy to preach about good governance,” Sani said in a telephone interview.
He likened El-Rufai’s political shift to a man speaking ill of a woman after being rejected.
“If Nasiru is in a Keke NAPEP, he will call it a Lamborghini; if he is thrown out of the Lamborghini, he will call it a Keke NAPEP,” Sani remarked.
“He demonized the opposition when in power, and now he is embracing them in the wilderness. Today, Tinubu’s government is led by illiterates because they refused to hire Professor Nasiru, who left behind a heap of garbage in Kaduna and is now preaching hygiene in Nigeria,” he added.
Meanwhile, former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, backed El-Rufai’s claims, arguing that the ruling party was deliberately destabilizing the opposition.
“What is happening at the national level is the Lagos State playbook. The APC wants to ensure that no opposition party presents a formidable candidate at the national level, which is why they are deliberately fomenting trouble everywhere,” he told Daily Sun.
“I agree with El-Rufai that the only way the APC can be defeated is by having a strong coalition of opposition parties,” he added.
