APC criticises El-Rufai over attack on Tinubu, Ribadu

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly criticised the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, over his remarks against President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, the APC National Vice Chairman (South East), rebuked El-Rufai following his interview on Arise TV on Monday night, during which he censured the President and the NSA. Arodiogbu described the former governor’s comments as both regrettable and unfortunate.

A key campaigner for Tinubu ahead of the 2023 general election, El-Rufai had argued that the President’s policies were orthodox but poorly sequenced.

“I support some of (Tinubu’s) policies; most of the economic policies are the correct orthodox policies, but the sequencing is wrong, and the quality of the individuals implementing the reforms leaves much to be desired. Additionally, I believe some of the reforms are fundamentally flawed.

“You do not address food inflation by undermining domestic agriculture. Food prices may be decreasing, but farmers are being impoverished as they are forced to compete with subsidised agricultural products from Europe and other countries.

“So, I have issues with many of these policies, and I am in contact with several senior officials within the administration, to whom I privately provide my opinions,” he stated.

El-Rufai further accused the President, rather than the National Assembly as widely assumed, of blocking his ministerial nomination.

He remarked, “Since I left office and the President publicly urged me to join his administration, I had already made my own plans. When President Tinubu initially sought my support, I agreed but made it clear that I was not seeking any political position because politics in Nigeria is often transactional.

“I am not in politics for personal gain. I have my family name, and I am a self-made man. I had already attained financial success before entering public office.

“After serving eight years in Kaduna, I was nearly burnt out. It was a challenging period, and I needed a break, with my own private plans in place.

“The President made a public appeal for me to put my plans on hold, and after two months of negotiations, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as a minister, subject to certain conditions that I stipulated.”

“I believe that at some point, either the President changed his mind or something else transpired. Please disregard the claim that the National Assembly rejected me. The National Assembly had no involvement in the matter; it was the President who no longer wanted me in his cabinet. Whatever the reason, I do not care—I have moved on.”

El-Rufai also criticised the appointment of his former close associate, Ribadu, as NSA, insisting that the retired senior police officer lacked the necessary qualifications for the role.

He alleged that Ribadu was orchestrating a scheme to tarnish his reputation due to his supposed presidential ambition for 2031.

According to El-Rufai, Ribadu is collaborating with Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to undermine his public image.

He claimed, “Ribadu is aspiring to become President in 2031, and he is systematically eliminating every northern politician he perceives as a threat.

“This campaign to destroy my reputation is Ribadu’s brainchild. He is the architect and executor of this plan, working alongside Uba Sani to bring it to fruition. Thus far, they have been unsuccessful.

“Someone is attempting to ruin my reputation. Why? Because Nuhu Ribadu wants to be President in 2031 and must eliminate every northern leader he perceives as a rival,” he added.

However, responding to these accusations, the APC official stated: “El-Rufai is embittered. His personal aspirations and self-serving expectations of this administration were not met, hence his resentment. This response was predictable. It also explains his claim that the party abandoned him—he did not leave the party.”

When asked if the APC was concerned about losing such a prominent figure to the opposition, the vice chairman dismissed any potential threat posed by the former governor.

“It is not a concern at all. Over the past few weeks, numerous prominent politicians—including Senators, House of Representatives members, former Labour Party candidates for the House of Representatives and Senate, as well as both former and serving PDP lawmakers—have defected to the APC.

“The optics are quite clear: if every notable politician in the states is joining the APC, what does that imply? El-Rufai’s influence amounts to nothing.

“It is akin to watching a lizard perform push-ups on a wall daily. No matter how many push-ups it does, its biceps will never grow to match those of a crocodile. That is my perspective.”

He further questioned, “What exactly does he expect from the APC? Is it to satisfy his personal ambitions? I do not believe the party feels his absence, as we have gained many new members in Kaduna State. He is merely aggrieved because people are abandoning him and joining the APC.

“That is why he had the audacity to grant what he termed his ‘first interview’. He is merely seeking attention after realising he has become irrelevant,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, in an interview, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory hinted at possibly leaving the ruling APC, stating that the party had already deserted him.

He explained that unless the party returned to the values and ideology of its founding fathers, he might seek another political platform that aligns with his beliefs.

“First and foremost, I did not say I have no intention of leaving the APC. I said that the APC is my party—I was involved in its formation. However, I am not leaving the APC; rather, the APC has abandoned me. We founded the party based on specific principles, but it has deviated. I find myself stranded while the APC remains elsewhere.

“So, to be precise, I am not leaving the APC—the APC has already abandoned me. However, I am not ready to retire from politics. Thus, sooner or later, I may have to find another platform that upholds the progressive values I believe in, should the APC fail to do so.

“I hope the APC will reassess its trajectory, allowing some of us to reconsider our positions. However, as it stands, many of us no longer recognise the party as the one we worked so hard to build.”

When asked if he would support the President’s re-election bid in 2027, the Kaduna politician avoided a direct response, stating that he was uncertain whether he would still be in the APC by then.

He dismissed speculation about defecting to the PDP, stating categorically that the opposition party was not an option.

“The fact that I am in the APC does not preclude me from visiting friends in the PDP or SDP. However, each time I meet with someone outside the APC, people speculate that I am planning to defect.

“In fact, two months ago, someone in Kaduna falsely claimed on Facebook that I had collected a PDP membership card in my ward. It was entirely untrue. At this point, I am uncertain where I will end up if the APC fails to realign with its founding principles.

“One thing is certain: I will never join the PDP. I ruled that out long ago, and my stance remains unchanged. If anything, the PDP has deteriorated further. The PDP is not an option—other parties may be, should the APC fail to set itself right,” he declared.

El-Rufai also disclosed that he would not be attending the APC’s National Caucus and National Executive Committee meetings, scheduled to commence on Tuesday (today).

The former governor explained that he had not received a formal invitation and would be travelling to Egypt on the same day.

“Regrettably, I will not be in attendance. I will be travelling back to Cairo, where I spend most of my time. I did not receive adequate notice. The party’s constitution requires 14 to 21 days’ notice for such meetings. If such notice was issued, I was not informed in time.

“By now, my plans are already set, and I will be travelling tomorrow. However, many of my associates will be in attendance, so I will not miss anything—I will be fully briefed on the discussions,” he concluded.