Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru Ahmad El-Rufai, has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is no longer the party it once was, claiming that it has lost its founding principles. He also alleged that people paid money to secure ministerial positions in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
El-Rufai made these revelations in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Thursday. He stated that before leaving the APC, he sought the permission of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
El-Rufai said, “There is nothing I can do without seeking Buhari’s consent and advice. APC has derailed. The party is no longer following the principles it was built on. Everyone’s working for themselves, looking for money. The government has become commercialized—everything has a price tag. Justice has been abandoned, and those who worked for the party have been ignored instead of being rewarded. If there is an appointment, they give it to a ‘Lagos boy’ instead.”
According to El-Rufai, he and other key members of the APC had raised concerns about the direction of the party, but their warnings were ignored.
“We spoke up. We said, ‘This is not the party we know.’ The party is dead. I had no choice but to leave,” he said.
Why El-Rufai Left APC for SDP
El-Rufai explained that his decision to leave APC was not sudden. He consulted with Pastor Tunde Bakare, who originally introduced him to the party, before making his move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
“I did not join APC because of Buhari. It was Pastor Bakare who took me to APC, and it was only right to inform him before leaving,” he said.
He also confirmed that he informed Buhari about his decision and received his blessing.
“I told Buhari I was leaving the party. I sought his blessings and prayers, and he gave them to me. He is now the father of the land and has been praying for us. What else is left?” El-Rufai added.
He made it clear that he has cut ties with the APC and no longer wants anything to do with the party.
“I have publicly denounced my membership of APC. They can hold on to it. They can eat the party alone like food. We have given up,” he stated.
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Sidelined and Ignored by APC
When asked if he left the APC to avoid being expelled, El-Rufai insisted that the party abandoned him first.
“It would have been easier for me if they had expelled me. But the truth is, I did not leave the party—the party dumped me,” he said.
He accused the APC of marginalizing him and excluding him from party activities.
“I was not involved in anything. It wasn’t that they invited me and I refused to go—I was completely sidelined,” he explained.
Allegations of Paying for Ministerial Positions
El-Rufai dismissed claims that he left the APC because he was not appointed as a minister. He argued that he never wanted a ministerial position and accused others of paying money to be appointed.
“Did I ever seek a ministerial position? I know those who paid money to become ministers,” he said.
He confirmed that he was invited for ministerial screening because President Tinubu personally requested his help.
“The President begged me in public. It was not a private conversation between just the two of us,” El-Rufai revealed.
He recalled that Tinubu had specifically asked him to help resolve Nigeria’s power crisis.
El-Rufai said, “He told me the biggest problem holding back Nigeria’s progress was the power sector. He wanted to be the President who would finally solve the electricity problem and begged me to help him achieve that.”
However, he did not confirm whether he had fully agreed to the role before his exit from the APC.