News
El-Rufai Warns Of Democratic Collapse, Criticises APC Leadership
Former Kaduna governor accuses ruling party of undermining opposition and deviating from its founding principles
Abuja, Nigeria– Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed concerns over the capacity of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to address Nigeria’s mounting challenges.
Speaking at a conference on strengthening democracy in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai accused the party, along with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, of plotting to weaken opposition parties and jeopardizing Nigeria’s democratic stability.
The conference was organized by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LS), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), and the National Peace Committee (NPC).
“I no longer recognize the APC. No party organ of the APC has met for the past two years. No caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it is a zero-man show,” El-Rufai lamented.
As a founding member of the APC, El-Rufai recalled the party’s original mission to fight corruption, revamp the economy, and restore national security.
He alleged that these objectives have been abandoned.
“The problems are still there. However, I no longer believe that my party believes in confronting those problems. So, the distance between me and APC is widening,” he added.
El-Rufai also raised alarms over what he described as the systematic destruction of opposition parties and the poor governance style in the country.
“The way and manner opposition political parties are being targeted for destruction and the style and quality of governance in this country today is a national emergency,” he said.
Citing declining voter interest, El-Rufai cited a recent poll indicating that 75% of registered voters do not plan to vote in the 2027 elections.
“This is very dangerous, and I believe every voice must rise to fight for this democracy,” he warned.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s turbulent history under military rule, he added, “For those of us in our 60s, we lived half our lives under military rule. We don’t want a military rule, but we also don’t want civilians behaving like the military in their babbar riga and suits.”
El-Rufai called on Nigerians and political actors to protect the country’s democracy, warning that failure to address the current governance issues could result in devastating consequences for the nation.
He complained over what he described as deliberate efforts to weaken opposition parties in Nigeria, particularly the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“There are internal mercenaries within the PDP who have been hired, paid, or otherwise motivated to destroy the party,” El-Rufai alleged.
“The party is on its way to the grave, and it is most unfortunate.”
He also claimed that similar actions were being orchestrated against the Labour Party, referencing a conversation with the party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
According to El-Rufai, Obi confessed, “I don’t know what is happening in the party that I contested for president.”
El-Rufai further warned of a broader agenda aimed at dismantling opposition political structures, insisting that unity among opposition parties is the only way forward.
“We must set aside our differences and create a broad platform to resist this threat,” he urged. “Otherwise, we risk returning to a military-like scenario, and that is where we are heading.”