Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has raised the alarm over what he described as a “national emergency” in governance and opposition politics in Nigeria.
Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy, El-Rufai criticised his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), for veering off its founding principles and fostering poor leadership.
“I no longer recognise 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,” he lamented.
El-Rufai expressed concern over the lack of internal democracy within the ruling party and faulted the selection process of political leaders, blaming unqualified delegates for the outcome.
“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 stated.
Reflecting on the party’s formation, El-Rufai noted that the APC was established to combat corruption, rebuild the economy, and improve security.
However, he said the party has abandoned these goals. “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 revealed.
El-Rufai did not spare opposition parties either, accusing them of internal sabotage and disunity. “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,” he alleged.
He warned of an impending crisis in Nigeria’s democracy, citing a poll that suggested 75% of registered voters might abstain from the 2027 elections. “This is dangerous. For those of us who lived half our lives under military rule, we know what it is. We don’t want a military rule, but we also don’t want civilians behaving like the military in their babbar riga and suits,” he warned.
El-Rufai urged opposition parties to set aside their differences and form a broad coalition to challenge the ruling party and safeguard democracy. “This is a national emergency, and we must act before history repeats itself,” he concluded.
