Former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has said that Nigeria urgently needs a visionary and capable leader to fix its problems.
He made the comment while speaking during a visit to Kano, where he met with the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and leaders of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
According to El-Rufai, competence, not ethnicity, must guide the choice of the next president.
“Our problems are too severe to care where the next president comes from. We need someone with vision and capacity to fix Nigeria,” he said.
El-Rufai explained that he joined the SDP to help build a credible political alternative, free from “godfatherism and dysfunction,” which he said had damaged both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He also dismissed claims that he left the APC out of frustration, saying he had no personal agenda.
“I’m 65. I could retire peacefully, but Nigeria faces an existential crisis. This is about the country’s survival, not personal gain,” he said.
On the issue of defections to the APC, El-Rufai downplayed the reports, insisting that real political power lies with ordinary people, not politicians.
“A governor has one vote. Elections are won by the people, not politicians,” he stated.
El-Rufai added that the SDP was quietly building support across the country and was not just a regional movement.
“We’re quietly building across the South as well. Nation-building is grassroots work, not media shows,” he noted.