El-Rufai identifies poor leadership rooted in recruitment process of political leaders by delegates

The former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai has said the problem of poor leadership in the country has its root in the leadership recruitment process, stressing that a surfeit of delegates who elect candidates in the political parties are illiterate.

El-Rufai made the assertion Tuesday in Abuja while speaking with journalists at the end of a two-day national conference on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, organised by Centre LSD And Partners.

The former Kaduna State governor criticised the quality of leadersh emerging from political parties, attributing it to unqualified delegates.

“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today.”

He further stated, “I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years – no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show or it’s a zero-man show.

El-Rufai said APC was originally established to combat corruption, rebuild the economy, and enhance security, but the goals had been abandoned.

“The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them,” he stated.

He said he had no intention of leaving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), contrary to recent reports saying he was only being hard on his party because he wanted it to change.

Recall in January 8, el-Rufai had met behind closed doors with the leadership of Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

At the meeting were former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd.), and Atiku’s former spokesman, Segun Showunmi, among others.

Showunmi had in a post on his verified Facebook page described the meeting as a “strategic gathering” convened by SDP chairman, Shehu Gabam, to evaluate the state of opposition politics in Nigeria.

The move was, however, widely seen as part of ongoing plans to form a formidable coalition capable of defeating APC and President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

But el-Rufai said Tuesday, “I am not leaving the APC. I don’t have such plans.”

He lamented the lack of internal democracy in the ruling party saying “The distance between me and the party is widening.”

He alleged that there are mercenaries in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) employed to destroy the party. “There are internal mercenaries in the PDP, hired and motivated to destroy the party. The Labour Party is also facing similar issues.

“Peter Obi himself told me, ‘I don’t know what’s happening in the party I contested with.’ There seems to be a deliberate project to destroy opposition parties.”

But reacting, the Special Adviser on Public Communications and Media to the President, Daniel Bwala wrote “My senior brother, if you were to be in the government and cabinet, would you have held and expressed the same position? History is replete with examples.

“It is a government you participated in its formation, that you now want to unseat. Haba Mallam, a Ji soron Allah mana.”