EL-RUFAI, PRESIDENT TINUBU AND THE APC

El-Rufai’s attack on President Tinubu and the APC is unfortunate, argues ADEWALE OLORUNTOBA Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has once again demonstrated his trademark: launching an unwarranted attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC)—the very party that elevated him to enviable national prominence, after he was humiliated by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In his characteristic manner, El-Rufai has chosen to bite the hand that fed him, turning against the party that gave him an unprecedented eight-year platform to govern Kaduna and play a pivotal role in national mainstream politics. This latest outburst is not only hypocritical but also reeks of desperation, self-preservation, and entitlement. El-Rufai has a well-documented history of betraying those who have helped him climb the political ladder. His recent criticism of the APC and its leadership, after benefiting immensely from the party’s goodwill, exposes his insatiable hunger for power. It is laughable that El-Rufai now claims the APC is failing, that its leadership recruitment process is flawed, and that the party no longer represents the ideals it was created to uphold. If the party is indeed in disarray, then El-Rufai himself must take a significant portion of the blame, as he was a key architect of the party’s policies and governance structure. Has he suddenly forgotten that it was the APC that made him a two-term governor of Kaduna State? Has he also forgotten that it was President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, which was an APC-led government, that made him a central figure in national policymaking? El-Rufai would do well to remember that before the APC, he had been politically irrelevant after serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under President Olusegun Obasanjo. He spent years wandering in the political wilderness, and seeking relevance. It was APC’s emergence in 2013 that rescued his political career, offering him a fresh start. Yet today, rather than show gratitude, he is busy trying to discredit the very structure that sustained him. The political goodwill of the APC robbed off his family, as one of the children rode to the Federal House of Representatives, chairing a juicy housing committee on Banking regulations. El-Rufai’s political career is a testament to the generosity of the APC and its leaders. Without APC, El-Rufai would never have won the governorship election in Kaduna. The party’s strong structure and Buhari’s influence delivered victory to him. He should be thanking APC for his eight-year reign rather than attempting to discredit it. As a governor, he was given immense influence over national policy matters. He served as the chairman of several high-profile APC committees, including those on restructuring and governance. He was one of the most vocal defenders of the APC-led federal government during Buhari’s tenure. Likewise, being an APC governor afforded him access to federal resources, security, and the political shield he needed to operate freely. He was shielded from opposition attacks from other quarters El-Rufai’s betrayal of APC is hardly surprising. He has a long history of turning against his benefactors when it suits his personal self-serving agenda.  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo readily comes to mind. After serving as FCT Minister, he turned against Obasanjo, publicly criticizing the same government that had made him relevant in the first place. Enter former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Once an ally of Atiku, he later became one of his fiercest critics, abandoning their political relationship when it was no longer convenient. Strangely, he is reportedly romancing the same Atiku for political gain after he has lost relevance in national politics. What of immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari? After benefiting immensely from Buhari’s goodwill and support, he distanced himself when it became politically expedient. Now, he is displaying the same attitude to APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Despite benefiting from the APC platform for years, he is now painting a picture of a failed party and an incompetent leadership. The pattern is clear. El-Rufai has a habit of using people and platforms to advance his political ambitions before discarding them when they no longer serve his interests. El-Rufai’s claim that APC’s leadership recruitment process is dominated by “illiterates and cunning people” is not only insulting but also hypocritical. If the party’s leadership selection process is flawed, then he must take responsibility, as he was one of the key figures shaping that process. He conveniently ignored the fact that he himself was a product of that very system he now condemns. Did he complain when APC’s system favored him in Kaduna? Was the party’s delegate system flawed when he emerged as the governorship candidate in 2015? His sudden realization of APC’s so-called failures now that he is out of government is nothing more than a desperate attempt to remain politically relevant. El-Rufai’s attack on President Tinubu and the APC is nothing short of a desperate act by a man who sees his influence diminishing. His criticism is not born out of genuine concern for democracy or good governance, but rather out of frustration that he is no longer at the center of political power. If he truly believes APC has lost its way, he should take responsibility for his own role in shaping the party over the past decade. He should acknowledge that he is a product of the very system he now condemns. Rather than launching baseless attacks, El-Rufai should reflect on his own failures as a leader. His eight years as Kaduna governor were marked by insecurity, division, and controversy. He failed to unite Kaduna, and his governance style alienated many.  El-Rufai should focus on contributing positively to national development instead of trying to sabotage the party that gave him everything. Nigeria has moved beyond his brand of politics—one based on self-interest and deception. The APC and President Tinubu will move forward with or without him.  Oloruntoba writes from Abuja