El-Rufai Critiques APC Leadership, Calls for Unity Among Opposition to Safeguard Democracy

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has publicly criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC), expressing deep dissatisfaction with the party's current direction and leadership. Speaking at a national conference in Abuja focused on strengthening democracy, he described the situation in Nigeria as a "national emergency" and lamented the lack of internal democracy within the APC, stating, "No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing." 

El-Rufai accused the APC of straying from its founding principles, which aimed to combat corruption, economic instability, and insecurity. He asserted that these issues remain unresolved and expressed his growing disillusionment with the party, saying, "I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them." He also criticized the quality of leadership emerging from the party, attributing it to unqualified delegates and stating that having "illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders" contributes to poor governance.

Moreover, El-Rufai called for opposition parties to unite against the ruling APC to safeguard democracy. He warned that a significant portion of voters might abstain from participating in the 2027 elections, indicating a potential crisis for Nigeria's democratic process. He urged immediate action to prevent history from repeating itself and emphasized that both internal strife within opposition parties and the current state of the APC pose serious threats to Nigeria's governance.