El-Rufai slams Tinubu’s government, backs opposition coalition for 2027
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has openly criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the ruling party as a “disaster” to Nigerians. Speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme hosted by Charles Aniagolu on Monday, El-Rufai distanced himself from President Bola Tinubu’s administration and declared support for a united opposition coalition.
El-Rufai, who recently defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), confirmed that discussions are ongoing among opposition leaders—including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi—to form a new political front to challenge the APC in 2027. He said the coalition is considering either forming a new political party or adopting an existing one, noting that they have little confidence in the current leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Mahmoud Yakubu.
“We have decided to put aside our personal ambitions and differences for the sake of Nigeria,” El-Rufai stated. “The APC government has failed. We are coming together to build a credible alternative.”
Comparing Tinubu’s government with former President Muhammadu Buhari’s, El-Rufai said Buhari performed better. “I supported Tinubu because of his record in Lagos, not for personal gain. But now I regret it. His cabinet lacks quality, and the government is failing across all sectors—economy, education, security, telecoms.”
Addressing rumours that he was bitter over not being appointed a minister by Tinubu, El-Rufai said, “I was a minister 20 years ago. Tinubu publicly begged me to join his cabinet, but I am glad I didn’t. I wouldn’t want to be part of this embarrassment.”
He criticised Tinubu for failing to initiate or complete new projects, alleging that those commissioned in Kaduna were already 90% complete under his administration. He also expressed concern about the misuse of security funds. “Every month, N100 billion is deducted from the federation account for security, yet insecurity is worsening. In 2024 alone, over 2 million Nigerians were abducted and 615,000 killed—worse than the entire eight years of Buhari.”
El-Rufai dismissed excuses placing blame on governors for insecurity, arguing that the president holds ultimate responsibility. “Even Tinubu once said, ‘the buck stops at the President’s table.’ He should take that advice.”
Concluding, El-Rufai declared the APC incompetent and expressed hope that the emerging coalition will defeat the ruling party and steer Nigeria onto a better path by the next general elections.
