Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has revealed that the recent defection of some big wigs politicians to the ruling All Progressives Congress doesn’t worry him.
He said the defection of big names is overrated as elections are won by voters, not by politicians.
The former governor made this known in Kano when he paid a visit to Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II
He explained that he decided to join the SDP after a careful evaluation of the few parties likely to survive INEC’s coming deregistration wave (because of the new constitutional requirement to have at least one State Assembly seat).
“We concluded that the SDP had the best structure, pedigree, and potential. It needs rebuilding, yes, but it’s the most viable option for us,” he said.
He said the SDP offers something different as it is not owned or controlled by any single individual.
“We have seen how godfatherism and lack of internal democracy have destroyed political parties in Nigeria. Both PDP and APC have suffered from this and we want a party where no one can impose candidates or hijack the structure. A party built on equal opportunity, fairness, and true competition. Nigerians deserve a credible alternative,” he added.
El-Rufa’i said nation-building is not about permanent loyalty to a political party, stressing that It’s about loyalty to the nation.
He claimed that when he was in APC, he wrote to President Buhari in 2016 warning him that things were going wrong. Adding that though it was a private letter, it was ater leaked to the public.
