Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has urged Nigerian youths to actively participate in the upcoming 2027 general elections, stressing the need for greater youth involvement in shaping the nation’s future.
El-Rufai encouraged young Nigerians to remain hopeful about the country, stating that the nation’s future should not be entrusted to corrupt leaders in 2027.
The former governor, sharing his personal reflections at an event in Kano, urged young Nigerians to take an active role in shaping the country’s future.
“I lost my parents when I was eight years old, yet Nigeria gave me the chance to rise. We cannot abandon this nation to those who have looted and mismanaged it. It’s time to rebuild a country where every child has a future worth fighting for,” he declared.
During a visit to Kano, where he met with Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II and Social Democratic Party (SDP) leaders, El-Rufai explained that his recent political moves were driven solely by a commitment to Nigeria’s well-being, not loyalty to individuals or political parties and as such Nigerian youths should follow suit.
He revealed that he joined the SDP to help establish a credible alternative, free from the culture of godfatherism and dysfunction he said had plagued both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Twelve years ago, we built the APC and defeated an incumbent. But today’s Nigeria needs a different solution,” El-Rufai said.
“The SDP is uniting frustrated Nigerians under a banner of fairness and real internal democracy.”
However, responding to claims that his shift was motivated by political frustrations, El-Rufai insisted he had no personal agenda left to pursue.
“I’m 65 years old. I could easily retire in peace, but Nigeria is facing an existential crisis. This is about the nation’s survival, not personal ambition,” he stated.
Commenting on the influx of politicians back into the ruling APC, El-Rufai maintained that the SDP was focused on building support from everyday Nigerians, not political elites.
“A governor has only one vote. Elections are won by the masses, not by big names,” he said.
He also dismissed claims that the SDP’s movement was regionally limited, emphasizing that silent but strategic expansion was happening across the country.
“We’re organizing across the South as well. True nation-building happens in communities, not on television screens,” he added.
