Assuming that matters of political conviction had anything to do with his exit, exactly how is the SDP an ideological safe haven?”
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, of launching attacks against the party out of bitterness over his failed ministerial nomination in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the APC dismissed El-Rufai’s claim that the party had deviated from its founding ideals, describing it as a smokescreen for personal grievances.
“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 statement read.
The controversy began after El-Rufai, in an interview with BBC Hausa, alleged that APC had lost its progressive ideology and become a platform where “everyone is now pursuing personal interests.”
He also criticised Nigerian politics, saying, “We have politics of private interest. We have no politics of public interest. Politicians will proudly tell you that politics is about interest. If they don’t get what they want, they are ready to collapse the system.”
APC, however, insisted that El-Rufai’s frustration stemmed from his inability to secure a ministerial appointment rather than any ideological differences.
The party questioned his decision to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), asking, “Assuming that matters of political conviction had anything to do with his exit, exactly how is the SDP an ideological safe haven?”
It also described his call for opposition members to join the SDP as “an invitation to drink from a chalice poisoned by selfishness, vengefulness, and delusion of grandeur.”
Defending President Tinubu’s administration, the APC outlined economic achievements, including the ₦4 trillion saved annually from fuel subsidy removal, increased foreign exchange inflows from exchange rate unification, and crude oil production rising to 1.8 million barrels per day. It highlighted a 3.8% GDP growth in Q4 2024, the highest since 2021, and a $14.31 billion trade surplus in 2024, driven by non-oil exports.
Dismissing El-Rufai’s claim that Tinubu had failed, the party described it as “outrageous” and “a gross distortion of reality.” It insisted that Nigeria is better off today than when Tinubu took office, urging El-Rufai to offer constructive criticism rather than personal attacks.
“El-Rufai is free to choose his political affiliation as he has done. He should quit sulking, get a grip, and salvage some respectability,” the statement concluded.