El-rufai Changes Gear, Says Competence as Against Region Should Determine Who Leads Nigeria
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has made a surprising U-turn on the issue of power shift in Nigeria, stating that competence and leadership capacity should be the determining factors in choosing the next president, rather than geography.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and meeting with leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), El-Rufai said that Nigeria’s current challenges were too severe to be concerned about where the next president comes from.
“Our problems are too severe to care about where the next President comes from. We need someone with vision and the ability to fix Nigeria’s fundamental issues,” El-Rufai said.
The former governor, who recently defected to the SDP, defended his move, saying that it was not borne out of frustration, but rather a desire to provide Nigerians with an alternative political platform.
El-Rufai, who is 65 years old, said that he has served Nigeria at the highest levels as a minister and governor and could have simply retired, but he believes that the country is facing an existential crisis that requires his continued involvement.
“I believe Nigeria is facing an existential crisis. This is about the country’s survival, not personal gain. We have seen how god-fatherism destroyed the PDP and is now wrecking the APC. Nigerians deserve a party built on fairness, internal democracy, and equal opportunity. The SDP can be that alternative,” he said.
El-Rufai also urged young Nigerians not to lose hope, but to join efforts to build a new political movement. He said that Nigeria gave him everything despite being an orphan at eight years old, and that every Nigerian child deserves the same opportunity.
The former governor expressed concern about the wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), but said that he is not concerned, as elections are won by the people, not by politicians.
“A governor only has one vote. Elections are won by the people, not by politicians. Our focus is on mobilizing ordinary Nigerians, not chasing high-profile defections,” he stated.
El-Rufai also dismissed perceptions that the SDP is a northern movement, saying that the movement is national and growing quietly across southern Nigeria.
He confirmed that there are ongoing coalition talks involving five major political groups aimed at forming a strong opposition movement under the SDP.
Defending his criticism of the APC, El-Rufai said that his loyalty has always been to Nigeria, not to any individual or political party.
“When things began to go wrong under President Buhari, I wrote to him warning about the dangers. When the naira redesign policy hurt Nigerians, I challenged it in court, even though it was an APC-led government. I have never been loyal to individuals over the nation,” he said.
