The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, of stoking ethnic tensions and plotting against President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ahead of the 2027 general elections.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, made the accusation on Sunday, alleging that El-Rufai’s actions were driven by his frustration over his failure to secure a ministerial appointment in Tinubu’s administration.
El-Rufai, a former Federal Capital Territory minister, was initially nominated for a ministerial position but was rejected by the National Assembly on security grounds.
Since then, his relationship with President Tinubu has reportedly soured, with the former governor engaging in meetings with key northern political figures, including opposition leaders.
In recent weeks, El-Rufai has held discussions with former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
His growing rapport with Atiku has fueled speculations of a possible political realignment ahead of the next election cycle.
Last Friday, El-Rufai joined Atiku’s entourage on a condolence visit to the family of elder statesman and Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark. Speaking during the visit, El-Rufai praised Atiku’s contributions to Nigeria’s economic reforms during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
Following the visit, the former governor and Atiku observed the Juma’at prayer together, further cementing speculations about their growing political alliance.
On Saturday, El-Rufai intensified engagements with the opposition by meeting with the Kaduna State executive committee of the PDP.
The closed-door meeting, which was attended by his former Chief of Staff, Bashir Saidu, has fueled discussions about potential bipartisan cooperation in the buildup to 2027.
Speaking on El-Rufai’s political moves, the APC National Secretary, Basiru, said they no longer pay attention to his activities after the party discovered he was “an overrated ethnic champion” who is always ready to pitch northern politicians against their southern counterparts.
The party scribe slammed El-Rufai over his continued posture as the mouthpiece of the North and recent fraternity with top opposition figures.
He said, “I have told you before and am still telling you again that we are concerned about our affairs in the APC. For parties in Nigeria, it is free exit and free entry. So anybody is free to exit if he wants to exit. But we will not dignify such moves with any comment for now.
“We understand that sectional politics is what makes some people tick. Unfortunately, he (El-Rufai) is not thinking about the development of the country but is stoking up the ethnic nationality agenda. This South versus North posture shows that all along, he has been overrated as a person.”
Hinting at El-Rufai’s grievance, Basiru noted, “The only thing we want to say is that governance is a serious matter and nobody has the birthright to be an appointee of government. There are more than 180 million Nigerians and quite a number of them are qualified. So, if you don’t have an opportunity to serve in a government, it does not mean that you should be going around and trying to become an emergency activist. As I said before, politics is a free exit and free entry. The APC is solid and we are forging ahead.”
Amidst the growing tensions, El-Rufai has openly criticized the APC, alleging a lack of internal democracy within the party.
