Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has taken a swipe at his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of abandoning its founding principles and fostering poor leadership.
Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, El-Rufai described the state of governance and opposition in the country as a “national emergency.”
El-Rufai lamented the lack of internal democracy and active party structures within the APC, saying, “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.”
The former governor criticized the quality of leadership emerging from political parties, attributing it to unqualified delegates.
“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 urged political parties to set higher standards for candidates and delegates, noting that the constitution’s minimum requirement of a secondary school certificate should not suffice for party nominations.
Reflecting on the party’s foundation, El-Rufai said the APC was originally established to combat corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance security. He, however, said the goals have 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 revealed.
El-Rufai also urged opposition parties to unite and 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,” he alleged.
Citing a poll that revealed 75% of registered voters might abstain from the 2027 elections, El-Rufai warned of an impending crisis.
“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 said.
He appealed to opposition parties to set aside their differences and form a united front to save democracy.
“This is a national emergency, and we must act before history repeats itself,” he concluded.
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