El Rufai Warns Tinubu Reelection Will Ruin Nigeria

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has raised concerns about the future of Nigeria if President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) return to power in 2027.

Speaking at a mobilisation event in Sokoto hosted by the opposition coalition African Democratic Congress (ADC), El-Rufai declared his full support for the movement and said it’s time to rally Nigerians against the APC.

According to El-Rufai, Nigeria’s social fabric is already fragile, and allowing the current administration another four years could tear it apart completely. He said the country might not survive another APC term, and described the next election as a battle for the nation’s survival. El-Rufai stated that his return to politics is not about personal ambition but a response to what he called a clear failure of governance.

The former governor explained that the ADC coalition came together out of a shared dissatisfaction with the APC’s policies. He described the Sokoto rally as the beginning of a wider campaign to mobilise Nigerians across the country to reject the ruling party at the polls.

El-Rufai officially parted ways with the APC in March 2025. He joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), stating that the administration’s direction no longer matched his values. Despite not being a card-carrying member of the ADC in Kaduna, he plays a key role in the national coalition aiming to unseat the APC.

In a related development, Salihu Lukman, a former APC chieftain and now with the ADC in Kaduna State, called on El-Rufai to formally join the party along with his supporters. He said unity is essential if the coalition is to succeed. Lukman also noted that online registration for new members is ongoing and welcomed Nigerians from all parties to join.

Lukman revealed that thousands of former members of the NNPP and PDP have already moved to the ADC, describing it as a fast-growing alternative. He urged coalition leaders in Kaduna to avoid internal divisions, warning that any cracks could weaken the party before the elections.

He added that the decision to adopt ADC as the national platform was the result of months of negotiation, involving many prominent politicians. According to him, the goal was not to promote individual ambitions but to form a solid opposition that could present a strong challenge to the APC.

Lukman said that the leadership of the ADC at the national level has already been restructured to reflect the coalition’s goals, with Senator David Mark now leading as national chairman and former minister Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary. He stressed that similar changes should be made at the state level to strengthen the party across the country.

He concluded by urging all political leaders involved in the coalition to focus on solving problems facing citizens, rather than chasing power for its own sake. He said building a disciplined, united party is the only way to win public trust and challenge the APC effectively in 2027.