Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna State’s immediate former governor, has been charged by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with inflaming ethnic tensions and conspiring to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the run-up to the general elections in 2027.
Ajibola Basiru, the national secretary of the APC, made the accusation on Sunday, claiming that El-Rufai’s actions were motivated by his annoyance at not being appointed as a minister in Tinubu’s government.
El-Rufai, a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, was first put forward for a ministerial post but was turned down by the National Assembly due to security concerns.
His relationship with President Tinubu has reportedly degenerated since then, as the former governor has been meeting with opposition leaders and other influential northern political players.
El-Rufai has been in talks with Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate and former vice president, in recent weeks.
Rumors of a potential political realignment before the next election cycle have been stoked by his developing relationship with Atiku.
El-Rufai accompanied Atiku’s group on a condolence visit to the family of Chief Edwin Clark, a Niger Delta chieftain and elder statesman, last Friday. El-Rufai commended Atiku’s efforts to Nigeria’s economic reforms under Olusegun Obasanjo’s rule while speaking during the visit.
After the visit, Atiku and the former governor joined together to observe the Juma’at prayer, which strengthened rumors of their developing political partnership.
El-Rufai met with the PDP executive committee in Kaduna State on Saturday, stepping up his interactions with the opposition.
His former chief of staff, Bashir Saidu, was present at the private meeting, which stoked debates about possible bipartisan collaboration in the run-up to 2027.
APC National Secretary Basiru commented on El-Rufai’s political maneuvers, saying the party no longer follows him after learning he was “an overrated ethnic champion” who was always willing to put northern politicians against their southern counterparts.
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El-Rufai was criticized by the party scribe for his recent friendship with leading opposition figures and his persistent role as the North’s spokesperson.
“We are concerned about our affairs in the APC,” he remarked, repeating what he has previously indicated. It is free to enter and free to leave for parties in Nigeria. Therefore, anyone can leave if they so want. However, for the time being, we will not honor such actions with any remarks.
We are aware that some people are motivated by sectional politics. Regretfully, El-Rufai is promoting the ethnic nationality agenda rather than considering the nation’s progress. This South against North stance demonstrates how overrated he has always been as a person.
“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,” Basiru wrote, implying El-Rufai’s complaint. There are almost 180 million Nigerians, and many of them meet the requirements. Therefore, you shouldn’t go around attempting to become an emergency activist if you don’t have the chance to serve in a government. Politics is a free-entry, free-exit situation, as I have stated. We are moving forward, and the APC is strong.
El-Rufai has publicly attacked the APC amid the escalating tensions, claiming that the party lacks internal democracy.
