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El-Rufai slams ruling party – ‘I no longer recognize APC’

Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, has attacked the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party of abandoning its fundamental ideas and cultivating incompetent leadership.

The former governor, speaking at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, declared the country’s state of administration and opposition to be a national emergency.

El-Rufai, who shared the news on Tuesday on his X Twitter, voiced concern over the APC’s lack of internal democracy and active party structures.

“I no longer recognise the APC. There has been no meeting of any party institution in two years, including the caucus and NEC. “You don’t even know if it’s a one-man show or a zero-man show,” he explained.

He criticized the quality of leadership arising from political parties, blaming it on inexperienced delegates.

“You can’t afford to have illiterates, semi-literates, and cunning people as leaders. This is why we have such lousy leadership today,” he said.

The former governor urged political parties to strengthen criteria for candidates and delegates, emphasizing that the constitution’s basic requirement of a high school diploma should not suffice for nominations.

He bemoaned that the APC’s original goals of battling corruption, restoring the economy, and improving security had been abandoned.

El-Rufai warned of a potential crisis, citing a study showing that 75% of registered voters may abstain from the 2027 elections.

In response to El-Rufai’s article, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Public Communications and Media, questioned the former governor’s viewpoint, wondering if he would have held the same position if he remained in government or cabinet.

“My senior brother, if you were in the administration and cabinet, would you have held and stated the same views? History is full of examples. You seek to overthrow a government in which you played a role in its development. Bwala authored, “Haba Mallam.”