El-Rufai’s Exit from APC: A Tactical Blunder Rooted in Self-Interest

While briefing State House correspondents at the Aso Villa in Abuja penultimate week, following his visit to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu expressed disappointment with the style of politics practiced by members of the coalition, including former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.

Although Senator Wadada acknowledged that he respects Mallam El-Rufai, and all other members of the coalition, he noted that El-Rufai’s political approach is “too much” for his liking. He added that it would be difficult for both of them to coexist under the same political umbrella of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Earlier this week, Senator Wadada made good on his word by officially dumping the SDP and returning to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Although his defection has not yet been marked by celebration, he has on several occasions expressed his desire to return to his former party, the APC.

In many ways, Senator Wadada may have a point—Mallam El-Rufai’s brand of politics often appears riddled with contradictions.

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has long been regarded as a shrewd political operator, very calculative, strategic, and often bold. But his recent exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the cloud of frustration and personal disappointment, marks a tactical misstep that exposes more about his ambitions than any genuine concern for Nigeria’s future.

Let us be clear: El-Rufai’s departure from the ruling party was not born out of principled opposition to national policy or a newfound ideological awakening. It was the direct result of his rejection by the Senate as a ministerial nominee under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Until that moment, El-Rufai had been conspicuously silent, some might say complicit, regarding Tinubu’s governance direction.

President Tinubu made his economic intentions clear from day one. In his inaugural address, he declared, without ambiguity, that “subsidy is gone.” This statement, shocking in its decisiveness, set the tone for a new era of economic reforms. Tinubu’s policies, ranging from fuel subsidy removal to floating the naira.

But ironically what did El-Rufai, a man never known to shy away from public commentary, have to say in those early months? Nothing. Not a word of dissent. Not even a whisper of concern about the direction Nigeria was heading under the new administration. This silence was not just notable, it was telling.

It is fair, then, to interpret his silence as tacit approval. After all, had El-Rufai truly believed these policies were damaging, he had every opportunity and platform to voice opposition. Instead, his criticisms only began to surface after the Senate declined to confirm his ministerial appointment, reportedly due to security concerns and political maneuvering. Suddenly, the policies he once supported, or at least never condemned, became the target of his attacks.

This sequence of events reveals the true motivation behind his recent posture: self-interest. El-Rufai’s public outrage did not arise from a desire to protect Nigerians from economic hardship, but rather from personal disappointment and bruised ego. His narrative shifted only when his political ambitions were blocked, just classic case of sour grapes.

Moreover, his departure from the APC weakens his political capital. El-Rufai was once considered a possible presidential contender, with strong ties to the political establishment and a record of governance. But by burning bridges and turning his back on a party he helped build not out of principle, but out of pique, he has apparently undermined his credibility.

Nigerians are watching. They can differentiate between genuine patriotism and opportunistic theatrics. If El-Rufai truly wishes to re-enter the national politics with integrity, he must first confront the reality of his actions and motivations.

In politics, timing and intent matter. El-Rufai’s timing was poor, and his intent not transparent. His recent moves are not the marks of a statesman, but of a politician driven by personal interest above national concern. And in doing so, he may have made the most costly political error of his career.

–Bala writes from Lafia, Nasarawa state can be reached at: [email protected]