The All Progressives Congress has strongly criticized former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of being blinded by ego, driven by untamed emotion, and motivated by a vengeful desire to destabilize the system.
In a statement released by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC responded to El-Rufai’s recent allegations that the party had deviated from its founding values.
The statement also addressed El-Rufai’s decision to join the Social Democratic Party, urging him to move past his grievances and salvage some respectability.
The APC rejected El-Rufai’s claim that the party had strayed from its progressive ideals, dismissing it as a product of his “foggy imagination.” The statement read, “In his frenzied attempt to justify his rather implausible exit from the All Progressives Party (APC), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, in an interview with BBC Hausa, opined that APC has deviated from the progressive ideals of its founders, and turned into a party where ‘everyone is now pursuing personal interests.’”
El-Rufai had previously criticized politicians for prioritizing self-interest over the public good. The APC, however, noted the contradiction in El-Rufai’s stance, adding, “Today, El-Rufai stands diminished as the epitome of a self-interested politician, blinded by ego, driven by untamed emotion, and brimming with a vengeful desire to ‘collapse the system.’”
The APC further suggested that El-Rufai’s departure was less about ideological concerns and more about personal disappointment. “In his BBC interview under reference, El-Rufai supplied the real reason for his soreness, stating that he was disappointed by the way he was treated by President Bola Tinubu and his administration, in ostensible reference to his failed ministerial bid,” the statement said.
The APC argued that El-Rufai’s claim of a party drift was an excuse for personal grievances rather than a genuine ideological difference, accusing him of weaponizing his failure to secure a ministerial position. The statement also questioned the ideological consistency of El-Rufai’s new political home, the SDP, saying, “Exactly how is the Social Democratic Party (SDP), El-Rufai’s new political abode, an ideological safe haven?”
The party criticized El-Rufai’s call for opposition members to join the SDP, describing it as an “invitation to drink from a chalice poisoned by selfishness, vengefulness and delusion of grandeur.” It concluded, “Nigerians are far more savvy than El-Rufai thinks, and they know that he is driven by raw self-interest rather than a genuine concern for the country.”
The APC maintained that it remains unaffected by El-Rufai’s criticisms, stating, “We continue to welcome millions of new members across the country, who are joining to identify with the Party’s lofty values and support President Tinubu’s bold and transformative policies now birthing sustainable growth and prosperity for our country.”
The statement also refuted El-Rufai’s claim that President Tinubu had failed, calling it “outrageous” and a “gross distortion of the reality on the ground.” The APC emphasized that Nigerians are witnessing tangible progress in the delivery of President Tinubu’s campaign promises, asserting, “Indisputably, Nigeria is better off today than when he took office.”
