Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has sharply criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party of neglecting its founding principles and fostering poor leadership.
Speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai described the political situation in Nigeria as a “national emergency,” emphasizing the lack of internal democracy within the APC.
Posting his remarks on his X account on Tuesday, El-Rufai stated, “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.”
He attributed the country’s poor leadership to unqualified party delegates, saying, “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.”
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El-Rufai called for higher standards in candidate and delegate selection, noting that the constitutional minimum of a secondary school certificate should not be sufficient for party nominations.
Reflecting on the APC’s origins, he reminded attendees that the party was founded to combat corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance security but said 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 said.
El-Rufai urged opposition parties to form a broad coalition to challenge the APC 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,’” he revealed.
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He alleged a deliberate attempt to destabilize opposition parties and cited a poll indicating that 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 concluded with a call for unity among opposition parties, stating, “This is a national emergency, and we must act before history repeats itself.”
