He dismissed the assumption that governors’ defections determine electoral outcomes, arguing that the collective will of the Nigerian people is stronger.
Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, has dismissed the recent wave of defections by high-profile politicians in Delta and Kano states as “widely exaggerated” and lacking real electoral significance.
Speaking to journalists in Kano State, El-Rufai, who also recently defected from the iAll Progressives Congress (APC) insisted that political power ultimately rests with the people and not with political heavyweights.
“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.”
He dismissed the assumption that governors’ defections determine electoral outcomes, arguing that the collective will of the Nigerian people is stronger.
“A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have millions. If the people say no, it’s over,” he emphasised.
Citing past electoral experiences, El-Rufai remarked, “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 move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was motivated by the desire to offer Nigerians an authentic alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“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.
He further warned that the SDP must avoid the pitfalls that had weakened the APC.
“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.”
El-Rufai also disclosed that the SDP was concentrating efforts on strengthening grassroots support, with a particular focus on Kano State.
“We are currently focused on building the party from the grassroots,” he concluded, revealing that the party is targeting the registration of three million voters in Kano alone.
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