Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has voiced serious concerns about the state of Nigeria’s democracy, highlighting the risks posed by divisions within opposition parties and the quality of governance in the country. Speaking at a national conference on strengthening democracy, El-Rufai called for urgent action to safeguard the country’s democratic future.
The conference, which was organized by several prominent organizations including the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), focused on how to fortify Nigeria’s democratic structures. El-Rufai described the current political climate as a “national emergency,” particularly stressing the targeting and destruction of opposition parties.
“The way and manner opposition political parties are being targeted for destruction and the style and quality of governance in this country today is a national emergency,” El-Rufai said, warning that these issues should concern all Nigerians. He added, “It should concern everyone. And I think this is a problem for all of us to think about and play a role in changing it because, as His Excellency (Atiku) said, we stand the risk of losing democracy itself.”
The former governor referenced a recent poll indicating that 75% of registered voters in Nigeria do not plan to vote in the 2027 general elections, a statistic he described as “dangerous” for the future of democracy. “This is very dangerous, and I believe every voice must rise to fight for this democracy,” he urged, drawing on his own experience growing up under military rule.
El-Rufai further called for opposition parties to unite in a single, strong platform, reminiscent of the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014. “We need to come together, to create a broad platform. We have to put aside our differences and create a broad platform that will drive this country forward,” he said.
He also highlighted the plight of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which he alleged is being systematically weakened by “internal mercenaries.” According to El-Rufai, these forces were either hired or otherwise motivated to destroy the party, and he described its decline as inevitable. “The party is on its way to the grave, and it is most unfortunate,” he added.
El-Rufai’s concerns extended beyond the PDP, also referencing the Labour Party. He shared a conversation with Peter Obi, in which Obi allegedly expressed confusion over the internal issues within the party. “I don’t know what is happening in the party that I contested for president,” El-Rufai quoted Obi as saying.
“There seems to be a project to destroy all the opposition political parties,” El-Rufai insisted, warning that these efforts could undermine democracy in Nigeria. He called for unity among the opposition, urging leaders like Atiku Abubakar to step forward and provide guidance, saying, “So, Your Excellency, we need your experience and skills.”
Despite his calls for opposition unity, El-Rufai also expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling APC, a party he played a significant role in founding. “I no longer recognise the APC,” he stated, lamenting that the party had failed to meet its foundational objectives. He criticized the lack of internal cohesion, revealing that no party organ of the APC has met for the past two years.
He further explained that the APC’s original mission, which focused on fighting corruption, revitalizing the economy, and ensuring national security, had been abandoned. “The problems are still there. However, I no longer believe that my party believes in confronting those problems,” he remarked. Despite this, El-Rufai emphasized his continued membership in the APC, saying, “I remain where I am because these problems remain the living problems of Nigerians.”
The former governor also took aim at the quality of leadership in Nigerian political parties, criticizing the role of illiterate or unqualified delegates in electing party leaders. He argued that political parties should implement higher standards for both candidates and delegates, insisting that failure to do so results in ineffective leadership.
“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, cunning people, and so on as your leaders,” El-Rufai said. He warned that without setting higher standards, political parties would continue to produce poor leadership, which he attributed to the country’s current challenges.
Despite his frustrations with the APC, El-Rufai concluded by offering a solution for the opposition, suggesting that they should form a party that mirrors the political strength of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) from the Second Republic. “You must come together and form a party that, in my view, should closely resemble the NPN of the second republic. That is one political party that was an effective machine,” he said.
