Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, has emphasized the rationale for the 2015 merger that ousted President Goodluck Jonathan.
El-Rufai was reacting to what seems to be a widespread perception that this coalition issue arises anytime a Southerner is in power.
Recall that political parties united to establish the All Progressives Congress, or APC, during President Jonathan’s administration. Now that Tinubu is in charge, the coalition problem has resurfaced.
El-Rufai was among the political figures who founded the APC and seen President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration is sometimes criticized for having the least amount of experience, rule for eight years without voicing any grievances.
El-Rufai said he never considered the question of coalition, which is often raised when a Southerner assumes the seat.
“I’m not interested in it. He clarified that there were two processes that led to the formation of the Jonathan coalition.
“First, the perception that Jonathan was not doing a good job of leading the nation,” he added. Second, Jonathan had issues even inside his own party because he had promised not to run in 2015.
“The third was simply we realized, those of us in small parties, opposition parties at the time, CPC, NPP, ACN, we realized that unless we came together, step by step, election cycle after election cycle, the PDP will be destroying us in bits and pieces.
“So it was an act of self preservation in the first instance for the political parties. That’s why three major political parties decided we must come together.
Naturally, there was the sense that Jonathan wasn’t performing up to par. Let’s free him. It has nothing to do with north or south, in my opinion.
Now, El-Rufai has switched from the APC to the SDP, or Social Democratic Party.
The former governor is reportedly upset that Tinubu denied him a ministerial job, according to several Nigerians.
He is currently a key player in the opposition political leaders’ coalition, though, and they have pledged to return President Tinubu to his home in Lagos State by 2027.
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