Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of the All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that he may seek an alternative political platform if the party fails to realign with its founding progressive values.
“I am not ready to retire from politics, so sooner or later, I may have to find another platform to pursue those progressive values that I believe in if I can’t find them in the APC,” he warned.
When asked about his commitment to the APC, El-Rufai clarified that while he remains a member, he believes the party has abandoned its principles.
“I am not leaving the APC; the APC has left me,” he said. “We founded that party based on certain values, but the party has drifted away from them.”
Speaking in an interview on ARISE News on Monday, El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna state and a founding member of the APC, lamented that the party had strayed from its original mission of fighting corruption, rebuilding the economy, and enhancing security. He noted that internal democracy within the APC had deteriorated, with the party failing to hold necessary meetings to assess its governance and policy direction.
“I am a founding member of the APC and I am still a member of the APC, but I have concerns about how the party is being run,” he stated. “I feel like a father who has given birth to a child, knowing the investment, efforts, and sacrifices made to establish the APC as an internally democratic party with progressive ideas.”
El-Rufai highlighted the absence of regular National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings, which he described as a critical platform for reviewing government policies in line with the party’s manifesto. According to him,
“In two years, the party has not met, so no one, to the best of my knowledge, has any insight into what has gone wrong.”
El-Rufai ruled out the possibility of joining the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), stating that the party is not an option for him.
“One thing I can tell you for sure is that PDP is not a party that I will go to, ever. In fact, if anything, PDP has gotten worse, so you can rule that out. Other parties? Possibly.”
Regarding speculation about his potential presidential ambition, El-Rufai dismissed claims that his recent meetings were political consultations.
“Anyone above the age of 35 with a secondary school certificate is qualified to run for president, so in that sense, I am qualified. But have I started talking to anybody about running for any office? No,” he stated.
El-Rufai also revealed that he would not be attending the APC’s national meeting at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, citing inadequate notice and prior travel commitments.
“The constitution of our party requires 21 days’ notice for this kind of national meeting. I don’t think that notice has been given. If it has, I have not received an invitation two to three weeks ago,” he said.
On the 2027 general election, El-Rufai remained noncommittal about supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term.
“I will evaluate the situation at the time and consult widely. We are going to take a decision on which candidate to support and which party,” he said.
