Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, says he has no intention of contesting for any political office in the 2027 general elections but insists Nigerians must unite to remove what he described as “oppressors” from power.
El-Rufai made the remarks in Kaduna on Wednesday while receiving defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party into the African Democratic Congress.
The former governor explained that after leaving office in 2023, he had resolved to retire from partisan politics, but said the state of governance in the country compelled him to return to active engagement.
According to him, “I am not contesting for anything. I don’t want to go to the senate. I am not contesting for any position. But we cannot fold our arms while the nation suffers. We must join hands to ensure we remove the oppressors.”
The former APC chieftain further called on Nigerian youths to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration exercise, warning that political apathy would only deepen bad leadership.
He noted with concern that while states like Lagos and Osun recorded over 600,000 new registrations, Kaduna had only about 60,000. He urged every eligible citizen from the age of 18 to register, even through digital platforms, to secure their right to vote.
El-Rufai, who formally dumped the ruling APC in March, has consistently criticised the party. Earlier this month, he warned that Nigeria’s survival would be endangered if the APC retained power beyond 2027.