“Nigeria Has Been Going Backwards Since Tinubu Took Office” — El-Rufai

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of incompetence, nepotism, and betrayal of the founding principles of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking in an interview with Deutsche Welle Hausa during a visit to Katsina, El-Rufai claimed Nigeria has been regressing since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.

Once a key ally of Tinubu and a central figure in APC’s victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023, El-Rufai has now positioned himself as a leading opposition voice. He announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing a total collapse of the ideals on which the APC was built. “What we planned when we started APC was a platform for justice, equity, competence, and national integration. But today, we see injustice, nepotism, and ethnic profiling,” he said.

El-Rufai accused Tinubu’s administration of promoting tribalism in appointments, alleging that the government now prioritizes personal connections and ethnicity over merit. He also labelled the administration as the most intolerant since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 and criticized its response to growing insecurity and economic hardship, saying, “Affluent people are now poor, and ethnic profiling is on the rise.”

Explaining his decision to leave the APC, El-Rufai stated that it was the party that strayed from its vision, not him. He recounted efforts to engage party elders such as Bisi Akande, Adams Oshiomhole, and Abdullahi Adamu about the party’s deviation, claiming they acknowledged the changes but failed to act. He said the APC’s refusal to convene meetings for two years showed its disregard for internal democracy and collective leadership. “Even if it is a child you gave birth to, and he goes wayward, and you try to correct him but he refuses, you let him go,” he said.

The former governor dismissed criticisms of his SDP defection, insisting the party is fast becoming a national movement. According to him, Nigerians across the country are rallying to the SDP in search of an alternative to the failures of both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “Every state you go to, you see people queuing for SDP tickets. People are tired of the old parties. They want justice, accountability, and relief from hunger and poverty,” he said.

El-Rufai also took aim at the APC leadership for what he called an opportunistic visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari after his defection. He claimed the party only reached out to Buhari out of political desperation, adding that he had informed the former president of his decision to leave the party beforehand. “I didn’t go to him to ask permission. I’m 65 years old. I just told him the APC had changed,” he said.

In recent months, El-Rufai has emerged as a persistent critic of the Tinubu government. At a democracy conference in January, he accused the administration of weakening democratic institutions and attempting to suppress opposition voices. Following his switch to the SDP in March, he publicly questioned Tinubu’s academic credentials, admitting that he and others were aware of the controversy before the 2023 elections but had hoped Tinubu would replicate his success in Lagos. “We knew about his issues in Chicago but believed in his capacity. He has failed,” he stated.

He also condemned the federal government’s handling of the political crisis in Rivers State, calling the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and other elected officials a blatant violation of democratic norms.

As of press time, the Presidency has not issued a formal response. When contacted, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said he needed to review El-Rufai’s comments before reacting.