• Kaduna ADC Woos Ex-Governor, Supporters
Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, has warned that Nigeria’s social capital risks total collapse if President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are returned to power in 2027.
Speaking in Sokoto during a grassroots mobilisation campaign organised by the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), el-Rufai said his return to active politics is driven solely by the need to “rescue Nigeria from looming disaster,” not personal ambition.
“I believe that if we allow this party and this government to continue for a second term, what remains of Nigeria’s social capital will be destroyed, and we may not even have a country. This is a fight for our lives,” he declared.
The former governor, who officially left the APC in March 2025 to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), accused the current administration of failing Nigerians. He emphasised that the ADC-led coalition was formed to rally citizens against the ruling party, describing the Sokoto event as the first step in a nationwide mobilisation.
“We are in Sokoto to begin the process of mobilising Nigerians against the APC government everywhere, including Abuja,” he said.
ADC Appeals to El-Rufai
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State chapter of the ADC has urged el-Rufai to formally join the party with his large network of supporters to strengthen the coalition in the state.
Salihu Lukman, ADC chieftain and former APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), made the call during a press conference in Kaduna on Sunday. He warned that any fragmentation of the coalition at the state level could weaken the party’s 2027 prospects.
“El-Rufai is not a member of ADC in Kaduna State yet, but he is a key leader in the coalition. We want him to come in fully with his people. A divided front at the state level is not healthy,” Lukman stated.
He explained that ADC has opened its membership register nationwide, including online, and has recently welcomed thousands of defectors from the PDP and NNPP.
Lukman highlighted the coalition’s broader strategy, recalling fears of Nigeria sliding into a “one-party state” under the APC if opposition forces failed to unite. He said the ADC has already undergone a national restructuring to accommodate major stakeholders, leading to the emergence of Senator David Mack as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary.
According to Lukman, similar unification is required at the state level:
“The reality of the coalition today presents a big opportunity to correct past mistakes. Any leader who refuses to work with others does not truly want to solve the people’s problems. Citizens’ anger at the APC is not enough to win elections; we need a united, disciplined party that can earn public trust.”
He urged all opposition figures in Kaduna to embrace the coalition, warning against overconfidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
