Citizenship News
The immediate past Governor of Kaduna state and former FCT Minister, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai has predicted that there is the likelihood that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after the general elections in 2027, will be gone.
El-Rufai while recalling that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governed Nigeria for 16 years, stated the APC would not govern forever.
He made this prediction in his speech delivered in a recorded online video on Thursday, at the 23rd Daily Trust Dialogue, in Abuja.
According to him, Nigeria does not have a permanent ruling party and that is an achievement compared to countries like Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and even our neighbor, Benin and Togo.
He said: “This pluralism has prevented complete political monopoly and allowed pockets of success in some states even where the center fails.
“Power therefore remains contestable. This distinguishes Nigeria from dominant party systems elsewhere on the continent, some of the countries that I’ve mentioned. However, and this is critical, competition has not yet matured into accountability and good governance.
“The PDP governed for 16 years. The APC would not govern forever. It is likely that in 2027, the APC will be gone.”
Speaking on the theme: Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: “What is Working and What is Not”, he described it as apt and timely, as it helps mirror actions of politicians and institutions, but also the patience and democratic commitment of ordinary Nigerians.
“Fourth republic some gains but it is failing in fundamental ways. Nigeria has built the forms of accountability faster than in the substance.
“We conduct elections, create agencies, announce asset recoveries, but accountability by those governing remains selective and episodic. Corruption has become dangerous for some that are in opposition, negotiable for others that are sitting on the fence and want to move to the APC, and invisible for those aligned with power.
“APC members are never accused of corruption. This cost is not abstract. It appears in unpaid salaries, abandoned projects, decaying infrastructure and widespread cynicism.
“But when laws are enforced unevenly, deterrence collapses. And when deterrence collapses, trust evaporates. And this is what is happening in Nigeria today.”
He continued: ” Since 1966, successive governments, military and civilian have entrenched this unitary federalism.
“The result is predictable. Everyone looks up to Abuja for money, looks downwards for excuses and sideways for scapegoats to blame. A system that centralizes power but diffuses responsibility will always fail by design.
“Insecurity and the breakdown of the social contract. Insecurity remains Nigeria’s gravest crisis.
” Insurgency, banditry, kidnappings and criminal violence have displaced millions and devastated livelihoods. Despite rising security budgets, the state’s monopoly of force has weakened. When citizens are compelled to organize their own protection, that is not resilience.
It is a vote of no confidence in the Nigerian state. No republic can endure when security becomes a private commodity available only to those who can afford it.
“Nigeria may record GDP growth and you will hear today from the government representative talking about over 4% projected GDP growth for 2026. But the lived reality is harsh and different from this rosy picture. Poverty remains widespread.
“Stability is not the same as prosperity and elections alone do not equal good governance.Where citizens absorb every shock, while public officials and political office holders live extravagantly and with impunity.
“This breeds anger. And anger, when combined with frustration and hopelessness, is politically dangerous.”
Ends
