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DEFECTIONS WIDELY EXAGGERATED, ADD NO ELECTORAL VALUE – EL-RUFAI
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has described the recent wave of defections by high-profile politicians in Nigeria as “widely exaggerated” and lacking any real electoral value.
Speaking to journalists in Kano, El-Rufai dismissed the notion that defections by governors or top politicians determine election outcomes, stressing that true political power lies with the people.
“As far as I’m concerned, the defection of high-profile politicians is not the issue,” El-Rufai said.
“These defections are good for headlines and to sell newspapers, but politically on the ground, if you don’t have the people, your profile means nothing. We want to return politics to the people, not to godfathers or so-called high-profile politicians.”
El-Rufai argued that one governor’s defection or even the collective defection of all governors would not change the will of the Nigerian electorate.
“A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have millions. If the people say no, it’s over,” he emphasized.
“Even the president had a sitting governor and still lost Lagos. I was governor of Kaduna State. I fought hard to deliver the president in my state, but I lost. Governors don’t determine election results — the people do.”
The former minister explained that his decision to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was motivated by its potential to offer Nigerians a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), both of which he said have been captured by powerful interests and plagued by internal crises.
“I believe the SDP can recreate a major political force in Nigeria. Nigerians are yearning for a credible alternative — a new brand of politics, new faces, and new style of governance,” he said.
El-Rufai stressed that the SDP must remain free of godfatherism and imposition if it is to succeed.
“The APC started well but ended up being pocketed by one or two individuals. We want to avoid that in the SDP. We are building a party that no one owns, that offers a level playing field for all aspirants.”
He further revealed that efforts are ongoing to strengthen the SDP, targeting the registration of three million voters in Kano State alone.
“We are currently focused on building the party from the grassroots,” El-Rufai concluded.
