Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that the ongoing crises within opposition parties in Nigeria are a deliberate scheme orchestrated by the ruling government.
Speaking in a video obtained by The Bureau Newspaper, El-Rufai addressed some members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), claiming that certain individuals had been contracted to sow discord within opposition parties.
“The crisis in the Labour Party is caused by the government of the day. Everyone knows it. Jumping from one court to another is all designed to distract the party leadership from focusing on their functions. The same thing is happening in the PDP, and even the NNPP has been targeted for destruction. There are people who have been resourced to go and cause problems in NNPP,” he stated.
Citing the recent internal conflicts within the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), El-Rufai questioned the rationale behind the factional expulsion of key figures in the party.
“The last thing I read about the NNPP is that one faction of the party has expelled Kwankwaso and the sitting governor. When you see things like that, you know it is a contrived crisis. Which party sacks the only governor they have? You know it is deliberate. I don’t have all the details, but it is clear what is happening,” he added.
El-Rufai’s remarks come shortly after his official defection to the SDP on Monday, marking his departure from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement explaining his decision, he cited the failure of the APC leadership to address internal challenges, saying, “Developments in the last two years confirm that there is no desire on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation of the party.”
With his move to the SDP, El-Rufai signaled his intent to continue pushing for his vision of progressive governance outside the APC.
