Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has issued a rallying cry to Nigerians, warning that the 2027 general elections are not just political contests but a battle for the nation’s survival. Speaking in Sokoto State on Saturday, El-Rufai declared that continued rule by the All Progressives Congress (APC) poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s unity and future.
The outspoken former minister, now a central figure in a newly formed opposition coalition operating under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), did not mince words in his blistering critique of the APC. He described the ruling party as “incompetent, clannish, and dangerous to Nigeria’s future.”
El-Rufai was in Sokoto as part of a nationwide grassroots mobilisation tour aimed at building momentum for a united political front ahead of the 2027 elections. He addressed a series of strategic meetings with stakeholders, including youth and women groups, from all 23 local government areas of the state.
“I didn’t join politics to enrich myself but to serve. When leadership fails the people, it becomes the duty of every patriotic citizen to stand up and act. That’s what I’m doing — and I will not stop,” he declared to a cheering crowd.
Explaining the coalition’s decision to adopt the ADC as its political vehicle, El-Rufai said it was a strategic move to present Nigerians with a credible and unifying alternative.
“If we allow APC to continue, the little that remains of our national cohesion may be destroyed. This is not just an election — it’s the fight of our lives,” he warned.
The former governor praised the warm reception and overwhelming turnout in Sokoto, saying he was “deeply inspired by the passion and commitment” of the grassroots and political elites in the state.
In a show of solidarity, former Senator Abubakar Gada, a prominent opposition figure in Sokoto, echoed El-Rufai’s sentiments. He pledged that the coalition would deliver credible and competent leadership at both the state and national levels.
Saturday’s event marks a significant milestone in the opposition’s strategic plan to challenge APC dominance across the country. According to insiders, El-Rufai’s Sokoto visit signals the beginning of what is being described as an “aggressive nationwide mobilisation effort” to reclaim Nigeria’s democratic and developmental trajectory.
