High-Profile political defections only good for Newspaper headlines – El-rufai

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has downplayed the importance of recent defections by prominent Nigerian politicians, describing them as “widely exaggerated” and lacking any real influence on election outcomes.

While addressing journalists in Kano, El-Rufai stated that the defection of governors or notable politicians might make headlines but holds little value when it comes to determining the result of elections.

He maintained that the actual power belongs to the people, not political godfathers.

“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 pointed out that no single governor, no matter their status, can influence the will of the people.

“A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have millions. If the people say no, it’s over,” he emphasized.

El-Rufai reminded Nigerians that even a sitting president once lost Lagos despite having a governor from his party, and despite his own efforts to deliver Kaduna during his time in office, the results did not favor his side.

“Governors don’t determine election results, the people do,” he added.

Explaining his decision to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), El-Rufai said it was driven by the need to provide Nigerians with a reliable alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), both of which he accused of being hijacked by powerful individuals and riddled with internal problems.

“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 stated.

He, however, warned that for the SDP to succeed, it must stay free of godfather politics and avoid the mistakes of other parties. “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,” he said.

El-Rufai also revealed ongoing efforts to strengthen the SDP, including the registration of three million new voters in Kano State alone.

He stressed that their current focus was to build the party from the grassroots, ensuring it is rooted in the will of ordinary Nigerians.