The All Progressives Congress (APC) is reportedly finalizing plans to suspend and expel the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, following allegations of anti-party activities.
Party insiders at the APC national headquarters in Abuja who spoke with TheSun revealed that El-Rufai’s expulsion has been under consideration since he was denied a ministerial appointment after his nomination by President Bola Tinubu was rejected by the National Assembly.
The situation escalated last week when El-Rufai publicly criticized the APC at the National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria, describing the ruling party as a “party without ideals” that has abandoned its founding principles.
At the conference, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) openly berated the party’s leadership, lamenting a lack of internal democracy and functional party structures in the APC.
Speaking as a discussant at the event, El-Rufai declared, “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 or a zero-man show.
“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we ended up with the poor leadership we have today.
“The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them. The distance between me and the party is widening.”
APC Leadership Hits Back At El-Rufai
The APC has strongly condemned El-Rufai’s statements, with its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, describing his comments as those of a “desperate and aggrieved leader.”
Morka stated, “The bizarre suggestion by opposition figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and recently, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that our great party may be complicit in the internal corrosion of opposition parties is pitiful.
“Nigerians know better than to be distracted by the false alarms and hollow allegations of desperate politicians seeking political relevance ahead of the 2027 elections.”
APC National Secretary Reacts
When asked about El-Rufai’s possible defection to another party, APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, played down any concern, stating, “In Nigeria, political movements are fluid. There is no rigidity in terms of movement from one party to another.
“We have seen possible meetings and his pictures with the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and if he wants to move, that is within his rights. It is his personal decision whether to leave the APC or not.”
Plans For El-Rufai’s Suspension And Expulsion
A source at the APC national headquarters has however disclosed that rather than allowing El-Rufai to voluntarily leave the party, the leadership is activating internal disciplinary clauses to facilitate his suspension and eventual expulsion through his ward in Kaduna.
“I can authoritatively inform you that the presidency and the leadership of the party at both national and state levels are angry with el-Rufai’s attacks on the party. They have also resolved that it will be disgraceful to watch him walk out of the party just like that without embarrassing him with suspension and expulsion.
“As such, every arrangement has been put in place to start his disgrace by activating his suspension from his ward very soon. It will climax with the state and national leadership confirming his expulsion from the party. The party can no longer take the insults and attacks and treat them with levity,” the source revealed.
The post ‘Presidency, APC Leaders Have Resolved That It Will Be Disgraceful To Allow El-Rufai Leave Party Without Embrassing Him’ appeared first on Naija News.