Amid face-off with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Kaduna State former Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that the sudden attack by President Bola Tinubu’s aide against him was to ensure that no one within the northern region compete with him for the 2031 Presidential ambition.
El-Rufai added that Ribadu is planning to allegedly tarnish his reputation and that the plan was being orchestrated along with his successor, Governor Uba Sani, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The former governor, who made the allegations on Monday while responding to questions on a popular television show, stressed that all their antics would not force him out of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This project of destroying Nasir el-Rufai is Nuhu Ribadu’s conception. He is the architect and builder of that project. He is the one working with Uba Sani to implement it. So far, it has been frustrating for them,” he added.
“Somebody wants to destroy my reputation. Why? Nuhu Ribadu wants to be president in 2031. He has to eliminate every northerner that he thinks is on the radar.”
Meanwhile, he dismissed speculations about his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, saying he has no intention of joining the party.
The former governor explained that his meetings with politicians from other parties had been misinterpreted, clarifying that his interactions did not indicate plans to leave the APC.
He said, “It should be clear that the fact that I’m in the APC doesn’t mean that I cannot visit a friend of mine who is in the PDP or SDP. So anytime I visit anyone that is not in APC, they say, ‘Oh, he’s thinking of leaving the party.’
“In fact, about two months ago, one character in Kaduna posted on his Facebook page that I’ve collected a PDP membership card in my ward. It was totally untrue.
“When I visited my brother and friend Shehu Gabam at the SDP headquarters, they said, ‘Oh, he has joined the SDP.’ Again, not true.”
The former governor, however, did not rule out the possibility of leaving the APC if the party does not return to its founding principles.
He added, “I don’t know where I will end up if the APC doesn’t come back to where we started. But one thing I can tell you for sure is that PDP is not a party that I will go to, ever. I have thought about that. I’ve decided that long ago, and nothing has changed. In fact, if anything, PDP has gotten worse; rule out PDP.”
While reiterating his rejection of the PDP, El-Rufai left room for possible realignment if the APC fails to address its internal challenges.
“But PDP, no. Other parties, possibly, if the APC doesn’t sort itself out,” he said.
El-Rufai confirmed meeting with PDP leaders in Kaduna but maintained that it was not politically motivated.
“I met with PDP leadership in Kaduna a couple of days ago. The state leadership of the party came to see me, and I will meet with them. You know, I’m a public figure in my state, and at my age, and based on the responsibilities I have held, I am a leader of some sort,” he said.
The former governor reiterated that he would continue to meet with political figures across party lines, emphasising that such interactions should not be mistaken for defection.
“If people say they want to see me, I’m not going to say, ‘You are PDP, I won’t see you,’ or ‘You are SDP’, I will only meet with APC people.’ It is my duty to meet with everyone. It is my duty to guide and mentor young people across partisan divides. So, I meet with people but the moment I meet with everyone, everything is reduced to politics,” he added.
