From Victor Osula Abuja
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has again criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress, accusing it of fostering poor leadership and abandoning its founding principles.
He alleged that the party has stopped practicing internal democracy and is failing to address Nigeria’s critical challenges.
Speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria on Monday, El-Rufai described the state of opposition in the country as a “national emergency.”
In a statement shared on his X handle on Tuesday, the former governor expressed concern over the quality of leadership being fielded by political parties, describing it as inadequate and unqualified.
“I no longer recognize the APC. No party organ has convened in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it’s a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show. 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,” El-Rufai said.
El-Rufai lamented that the APC has veered off course from its original objectives of fighting corruption, rebuilding the economy, and improving security.
“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.
The former governor also alleged internal sabotage within the country’s opposition parties, claiming that efforts to undermine their effectiveness are ongoing.
“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,’” El-Rufai alleged.
El-Rufai cited a poll indicating that 75% of registered voters might abstain from participating in the 2027 elections, warning that this trend poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
“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.
Describing the current state of democracy as a “national emergency,” El-Rufai called for immediate measures to prevent its collapse.
“We must act before history repeats itself,” he warned.
