Defections of High-Profile Politicians Widely Exaggerated, Add No Electoral Value – El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed the recent wave of defections by high-profile politicians in Nigeria as “widely exaggerated” and having little to no impact on electoral outcomes. Speaking to journalists in Kano, El-Rufai stressed that true political power lies with the people, not with prominent individuals switching parties.

“As far as I’m concerned, the defection of high-profile politicians is not the issue,” El-Rufai said. “These defections are good for headlines and to sell newspapers, but politically on the ground, if you don’t have the people, your profile means nothing. We want to return politics to the people, not to godfathers or so-called high-profile politicians.”

El-Rufai argued that even the defection of a sitting governor, or all governors collectively, would not sway the electorate’s will. Citing past election results, he noted that despite strong political backing, key figures have lost in their own territories. “A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have millions. If the people say no, it’s over. Even the president had a sitting governor and still lost Lagos. I was governor of Kaduna State. I fought hard to deliver the president in my state, but I lost. Governors don’t determine election results — the people do,” he said.

Explaining his decision to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), El-Rufai said the move was driven by the party’s potential to offer Nigerians a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He criticized both major parties for being captured by vested interests and plagued by internal divisions.

“I believe the SDP can recreate a major political force in Nigeria. Nigerians are yearning for a credible alternative — a new brand of politics, new faces, and new style of governance,” he said. El-Rufai emphasized that for the SDP to succeed, it must remain free of godfatherism and ensure a level playing field for all members.

“The APC started well but ended up being pocketed by one or two individuals. We want to avoid that in the SDP. We are building a party that no one owns,” he stated.

El-Rufai also revealed that efforts are underway to strengthen the SDP’s grassroots presence, with an ambitious target of registering three million voters in Kano State alone. “We are currently focused on building the party from the grassroots,” he concluded.