Illiterates, Cunning People Leading APC to Ruin — El-Rufai

Kehinde Fajobi

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of abandoning its founding principles and fostering poor leadership.

Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on Monday, El-Rufai described the current state of governance and opposition in Nigeria as a “national emergency.”

Sharing his remarks on his X handle on Tuesday, he said, “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 criticised the party’s lack of internal democracy, attributing the emergence of poor leadership 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 noted.

El-Rufai called for higher standards for candidates and delegates, stating, “The constitution’s minimum requirement of a secondary school certificate is not enough for party nominations.”

Reflecting on the APC’s foundation, he said it was established to fight corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance security.

However, he added, “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 also urged opposition parties to unite, claiming they face deliberate attempts to destabilise them.

“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 indicating that 75% of registered voters may 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 concluded by urging opposition parties to set aside their differences and form a coalition to protect democracy. “This is a national emergency, and we must act before history repeats itself,” he said.

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