Abuja, Nigeria – The Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have strongly condemned former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following his recent criticisms of the ruling party’s leadership and his call for opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai, a prominent APC figure, made his remarks during a national conference on democracy in Abuja on Monday, where he described the state of governance as a “national emergency.”
El-Rufai Slams APC, Calls for Stronger Opposition
In his speech, El-Rufai lamented the lack of internal democracy within the APC, accusing the party of abandoning its original goals of fighting corruption, rebuilding the economy, and enhancing security.
“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 or a zero-man show,” he stated.
The former governor also called for higher standards for political candidates, arguing that the constitutional requirement of a secondary school certificate was too low a bar for leadership.
Furthermore, he alleged that opposition parties were being deliberately weakened by political mercenaries backed by the ruling party.
“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. This is dangerous. We must act before history repeats itself,” El-Rufai warned.
Presidency, APC Hit Back at El-Rufai
Reacting swiftly, the Presidency accused El-Rufai of betrayal, implying that his criticisms were motivated by personal grievances rather than genuine concern for democracy.
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communications, took to social media to express his disappointment.
“My senior brother, if you were in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position?
“It is a government you participated in forming, that you now want to unseat. Haba Mallam, a Ji soron Allah mana (please, let’s be reasonable),” Bwala tweeted.
Similarly, the APC National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, dismissed El-Rufai’s claims as a matter of personal opinion, adding that the APC remains open to dialogue.
“The beauty of democracy is that it gives people the right to express their own opinion. El-Rufai is entitled to his views, but that doesn’t mean his version is the reality of what’s happening in APC.
“If there are concerns, he knows how to channel them. The APC, under the leadership of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, remains a listening party,” Ibrahim stated.
Opposition Parties Rally Behind El-Rufai
While the APC distanced itself from El-Rufai’s comments, opposition parties seized on his remarks, agreeing that the ruling party had abandoned its campaign promises.
Spokespersons for the PDP and Labour Party accused the APC of failing to address economic hardship and worsening insecurity, echoing El-Rufai’s concerns about the erosion of internal democracy.
With tensions rising within the ruling party and opposition forces looking to capitalize on El-Rufai’s high-profile criticism, the political landscape is heating up ahead of the 2027 elections.
