The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly responded to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following his critical remarks about the party’s leadership. El-Rufai’s call for opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2027 elections has drawn sharp reactions from the ruling party, which accused him of undermining its authority and principles.
The Presidency also accused El-Rufai of disloyalty, citing his recent criticism of the Federal Government and the APC. The former governor had called for higher standards in political party nominations, arguing that the constitutional minimum of a secondary school certificate was inadequate for candidates and delegates.
Speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, El-Rufai reflected on APC’s founding vision, which, according to him, aimed to fight corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance national security. However, he lamented that these objectives had been abandoned.
Expressing concern over the state of governance and internal party structures, El-Rufai stated, “I no longer recognize the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no National Executive Committee (NEC), nothing. It’s unclear if this is a one-man show or a zero-man show.” He urged opposition parties to form a coalition to challenge the ruling party and safeguard democracy, alleging that internal crises in opposition parties were being fueled by political mercenaries.
“There are internal mercenaries in the PDP, hired and motivated to weaken the party. The Labour Party is also facing similar struggles. Peter Obi himself told me, ‘I don’t know what’s happening in the party I contested with.’ There appears to be a deliberate effort to destabilize opposition parties, which is dangerous. We don’t want military rule, but we also don’t want civilians acting like the military in their agbada and suits. This is a national emergency, and we must act before history repeats itself,” he warned.
In response, the Presidency dismissed El-Rufai’s criticisms. Presidential Adviser on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, took to social media, implying that El-Rufai’s stance would have been different if he had been part of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. “My senior brother, if you were in the government, would you have expressed the same views? This is a government you helped form, and now you want to unseat it,” Bwala tweeted.
Similarly, APC’s National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, argued that while El-Rufai was entitled to his opinion, he should have addressed his concerns internally rather than publicly condemning the party.
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“The beauty of democracy is that everyone has the right to express their views. However, that does not mean his opinion reflects the true state of the APC. The party, under Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje’s leadership, remains open to dialogue. If El-Rufai has grievances, he knows how to channel them properly,” Ibrahim said.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have voiced their support for El-Rufai’s claims, strongly asserting that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has strayed significantly from its initial campaign promises. They contend that the ruling party has not only failed to meet the expectations set during its election campaign but has also neglected its critical responsibilities to the Nigerian people. These parties emphasize that the APC’s inability to fulfill its commitments has contributed to the growing dissatisfaction among citizens, who are increasingly disillusioned by the government’s lack of progress on key issues affecting the nation’s welfare and development.
