Immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has criticized the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party of derailing from its founding ideals and principles and fostering poor leadership.
El-Rufai who made the remarks while speaking in Abuja at a National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria on Tuesday, decried what he described as the inability of the APC to sustain the gains of democracy as the state of governance in the country was abysmal and a national emergency.
He also condemned the quality of leadership emerging from political parties which he blamed on unqualified individuals occupying positions of authority.
“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,” El-Rufai lamented.
“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 added.
The former governor however, urged political parties to set higher standards for candidates and delegates, noting that the constitution’s minimum requirement of a secondary school certificate should not suffice for party nominations.
Also reflecting on the party’s foundation, El-Rufai said the APC was originally established to combat corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance security, but regretted that the goals have been abandoned.
“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.
“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.
The APC chieftain also cited a recent poll that revealed 75% of registered voters might 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. This is a national emergency, and we must act before history repeats itself,” he concluded.