Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has expressed strong criticism of the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the ruling party of abandoning its founding principles and lacking internal democracy. Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, El-Rufai described the current state of governance and opposition as a “national emergency.”
Taking to his X handle on Tuesday, El-Rufai stated that the APC no longer operates as a structured party, with key organs failing to meet for over two years. “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 said.
The former governor attributed the country’s leadership crisis to the poor quality of delegates who select political candidates, arguing that higher standards must be set. “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 remarked. He also emphasized that the constitutional minimum requirement of a secondary school certificate is insufficient for credible political nominations.
Reflecting on the APC’s founding vision, El-Rufai lamented that the party was established to fight corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance security, but those objectives 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 declared.
Beyond the ruling party, El-Rufai criticized the state of opposition politics, alleging that internal sabotage is weakening key opposition groups. “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.
Also, Citing a poll that suggests 75% of registered voters may abstain from the 2027 elections, El-Rufai warned of an impending democratic 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 stated.
furthermore, He called on opposition parties to set aside their differences and unite in a broad coalition to challenge the APC and ensure democracy is safeguarded.
Stay tuned to 9am News Nigeria for more Breaking News, Business News, Sports updates And Entertainment Gists.