Former Kaduna State governor and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir El-Rufai, has voiced significant concerns about the capacity of his party and President Bola Tinubu's administration to effectively tackle Nigeria’s pressing challenges. His remarks came during a conference on strengthening democracy in Abuja, where he critiqued the APC's leadership and accused the administration of targeting opposition parties for destruction.

Speaking at an event hosted by several pro-democracy organizations, including the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), El-Rufai lamented the decline in internal democracy within the APC. He noted that no party organs have met for the past two years, with neither caucuses nor the National Executive Council convening.

"Previously, I recognized the APC as a robust political entity," El-Rufai stated. "However, it appears to be a zero-man show now, as you don’t even know if there is any formal structure in place."

El-Rufai further criticized the party for deviating from its founding ideals of combating corruption, enhancing economic growth, and restoring security. He emphasized that while these issues remain unresolved, he no longer believes his party genuinely aims to address them.

"Despite the persistent problems, I now doubt the sincerity of my party's commitment to confronting them," El-Rufai underscored.

He also highlighted concerns regarding the state of opposition parties in Nigeria, accusing the APC-led administration of deliberately undermining their efforts. "The systematic targeting and destruction of opposition political parties, combined with the poor quality of governance today, represent a national emergency," he argued.

Warning about the potential threat to Nigeria's democracy, El-Rufai pointed out that a recent poll showed 75% of registered voters do not plan to participate in the 2027 elections. "This is alarming and should be a wake-up call for everyone who cares about democratic processes," he said.

El-Rufai called for collective action among all stakeholders to address these challenges, emphasizing the need for every voice to rise in support of democracy. He urged the government and opposition alike to work together to restore faith in the democratic process and ensure that voters engage actively in future polls.

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