A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Bashir Jamoh, has said that former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, is still a stakeholder in the ruling party.
He recently had his say amid ongoing speculations about El-Rufai’s political allegiance.
Speaking during a press conference with journalists in Kaduna, Bashir addressed the rumours linking El-Rufai with opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, while El-Rufai has been mentioning other parties like the Social Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress during his interviews, he remains an APC member.
He stated that APC members still seek El-Rufai’s expertise and knowledge from time to time, so no exit has happened.
“As far as I’m concerned, this is my opinion — Malam Nasir El-Rufai is still with us. Yes, he mentioned his membership of the SDP. Yes, he mentioned the ADC. But we are yet to get to the point of bidding him farewell. He’s someone we still consult. We still seek his expertise, his knowledge, and his advice. Forget the politics for a moment. This is about public service. Whenever we need his advice, he gives it. And if he refuses to give it when asked, I believe God will ask him why,” he said.
Bashir further described the ex-governor as a politician whose impact on the development of Kaduna State and the APC could not be overemphasised.
He concluded by saying that even if the Northern leader eventually decides to quit the party, the APC in Kaduna would always be open to him.
“You cannot disown your child of eight years. He was Minister under the PDP. He joined CPC, which merged into APC, and governed this state for eight years. He’s a part of our political history.
If Malam today says he’s no longer with ADC, we’ll still remain with him. If he goes to ADC, we’ll wait and see how far the ADC goes
We don’t even know who is who in the ADC yet. Yes, we hear he is the North-West leader of the ADC, but as far as Kaduna is concerned, they are underperforming.
Are you talking about El-Rufai or the ADC? Nasir El-Rufai cannot contest for governorship again. That chapter is closed. So, the question is whether ADC or any opposition party can defeat the APC in this state — and I say no.
In Hausa, there’s a proverb: when you grind your corn, you can’t throw the whole thing into a pot because it’ll be too heavy. APC is too heavy for any party here.
Maybe you don’t know Kaduna politics very well. Go and take an independent survey today. Who stands a chance of winning the gubernatorial election after Uba Sani? Check opposition parties. Who and who among them can challenge the APC? We have more than 10 capable candidates. I challenge you — do the research,” he added.
