The former governor Nasir El-Rufai clarified that he has no intention of leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite expressing concerns about the party’s direction. “I am not leaving the APC. I don’t have such plans,” he asserted. When pressed on his critical stance toward the party, El-Rufai responded, “No, no, no, I want them to change.”
El-Rufai’s comments follow a report in which he criticized the APC for straying from its founding principles and exhibiting poor leadership. He lamented the apparent lack of internal democracy and active structures within the party, stating, “I no longer recognize 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; it’s a zero-man show.”
In a related development, a recent conference aimed at strengthening democracy in Nigeria recommended that opposition parties unite to form a robust coalition against the ruling APC in preparation for the 2027 general election. The conference also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to facilitate the registration of new political parties, as stipulated in the constitution.
The two-day National Conference was organized by a coalition of civil society organizations, including the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WfD), the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), and the National Peace Committee.
Reading the communiqué on behalf of the organizers, convener Ezenwa Nwagwu emphasized that 25 years of democracy in Nigeria have not sufficiently deepened democratic values or institutions. Instead, systemic issues such as electoral malpractice, inefficiencies within political parties, weak governance structures, and endemic corruption have eroded public trust in the democratic process.
Nwagwu stated that the conference reached a consensus on the need for political parties to adopt innovative fundraising strategies to support their operations, ensuring financial independence and sustainability to mitigate state capture and corruption.
“Opposition political parties must unite to form a strong, viable coalition that ensures checks and balances, promotes accountability, and fosters healthy political discourse to protect the integrity of the democratic process,” Nwagwu said.
He also called for INEC to review its internal processes to incorporate ward-level collation of results and strictly adhere to electoral guidelines. “Technology should be integrated into the electoral process to enhance accountability and transparency, aligning with global best practices and ensuring the credibility of election outcomes,” he added.
Furthermore, Nwagwu urged the legislature to fulfill its oversight, lawmaking, and representation responsibilities, emphasizing that a functional legislature is essential for a thriving democracy. He called on the 10th National Assembly to prioritize proposals aimed at reforming the electoral process, including revisiting the “winner-takes-all” system, particularly given the limited timeframe before the next general elections.
Lastly, the conveners agreed that electoral offenders should be prosecuted under the law to serve as a strong deterrent to others, reinforcing the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process.
