…Says only insane persons will follow former governor
Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed skepticism about Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s ability to lead the opposition, citing his troubled past and lack of trust among Nigerians.
Galadima further disclosed that El-Rufai is merely a placeholder in the SDP for Atiku Abubakar, warning that El-Rufai’s defection to the SDP would spell doom for the party.
In an interview with Punch Newspaper, Galadima said El-Rufai’s history of betrayals and hurtful statements will make it difficult for him to gain the trust of the people. “El-Rufai cannot lead an opposition. It’s simply the law of karma catching up with him,” he said, adding that El-Rufai’s approach to politics, which involves taking over established structures, won’t work in the opposition, where building from scratch is required.
He predicted El-Rufai’s efforts will be unsuccessful, citing his history of ditching people and parties. The politician also claimed El-Rufai lacks a track record in public relations and has wronged many people, making it hard for him to gain their trust.
The politician also predicted that El-Rufai’s efforts will be unsuccessful, citing his history of ditching people and parties. “He ditched Atiku, he ditched Obasanjo, he ditched Buhari, and he now ditched Tinubu. So, someone with this kind of record, I don’t think if you are sensible, you will follow him,” Galadima said.
On the PDP, Galadima believes the party is irredeemable and has been destroyed completely due to internal conflicts and the influence of Minister Nyesom Wike. “The PDP has been destroyed completely; it is irredeemable,” he said, adding that the party is plagued by three identifiable groups: the Minister of Federal Capital Territory group, which wants to destroy the party; the governors’ group; and Atiku’s group, which is the weakest.
Galadima also weighed in on the issue of zoning and regional politics, stating that democracy is not about North or South but about free and fair elections. “If Tinubu is finishing and has done well, and Nigerians decide to vote for Seyi Tinubu, I have no grudge, provided there is a free and fair election,” he said, challenging anyone to produce evidence of a gentleman’s agreement between the North and South.
Galadima advised Atiku Abubakar not to contest in the 2027 election, citing his age and the need for him to support other capable candidates. “Atiku should rest and anoint somebody who can even unify his political family structure, or he can promote his son for progress,” he said.
He said El-Rufai’s efforts with the SDP will be futile and that President Tinubu should be allowed to focus on his administration without interference from the opposition. “The opposition doesn’t run a marathon race; it’s a sprint, a 100-meter dash. El-Rufai is starting early. By the time it is the third year, he must have been dismembered,” he added.
Read part of the interview:
Well not El-Rufai himself, but some of his associates, including the chairman of the SDP, visited me. We had a lengthy discussion, and I shared my views with them. I am confident that my perspective will prevail because El-Rufai cannot lead an opposition. It’s simply the law of karma catching up with him. He is used to going into an established house and taking it over, but now that he’s trying to build from scratch, he will see how difficult politics can be. I don’t think he will succeed because he lacks a track record in public relations and doesn’t have the trust of the people, as he has wronged many.
This will be the downfall of the SDP itself. Additionally, El-Rufai is merely a placeholder for someone else who is expected to take over the party. He does not own it. We know exactly who the true owners are, and they, too, carry baggage from their past actions towards other politicians and governors.
They won’t succeed with this approach. You can’t try to take over a government out of anger. El-Rufai cannot lead because no one trusts him. He has a history of betrayals, and that will follow him. He has made many harmful statements and hurt countless people, and in fact, he has hurt God in several ways. I don’t believe God will allow him to succeed. It is only an insane person who does not understand politics or has no history who can follow El-Rufai. He is only after his own interest; once his interest is not there, he will ditch you. He has ditched a lot of people; he ditched Atiku, he ditched Obasanjo, he ditched Buhari, and he now ditched Tinubu. So, someone with this kind of record, I don’t think if you are sensible, you will follow him. Unless, of course, they are also like him, they committed one offence or the other before, and God wants to gather them in one place and destroy all of them. I don’t think there is a need for them to gather behind El-Rufai. It is even too early; perhaps they should allow President Tinubu to focus more. That is why we don’t want to comment. I said that until after they reach the second year in office, we don’t want them to claim we are not allowing them to work. So, we want them to work for the people, and let me tell you something, and forever keep it, even if I am dead, that no opposition runs a marathon race. The opposition doesn’t, it’s a sprint, a 100-meter dash. El-Rufai is starting early. By the time it is the third year, he must have been dismembered. It’s because he’s not a politician, or because God is pushing him because of the bad things he did against the people to suffer.
So many people have been talking to Kwankwaso. I must confess, even El-Rufai spoke to him. Several people, and there are a lot of other guys. You see, it’s just because El-Rufai jumped the gun. A lot of people are doing underground talking. And that is what it should be. If you are talking about a coalition, you should be looking at the middle of next year, not now. This government that I know will dismiss all of them. You have to start when they have no power to control you. And the people might have seen their inner workings, their weaknesses, and their strengths. That’s why I say, because El-Rufai is not a politician, and he is following his mind because he didn’t get a ministerial appointment, that is why he has to fight President Tinubu. You don’t do that in politics. We believe that it’s not yet time. We are also looking at a coalition of like minds based on ideology, so that we just don’t take government for the sake of it.
The PDP has been destroyed completely; it is irredeemable. We have three identifiable groups within the PDP who are fighting for the soul of the party: the Minister of Federal Capital Territory group, which is determined to destroy the party; the governors’ group; and the weakest group, which is Atiku’s group. That is why Atiku is afraid of being stranded. El-Rufai is now jumping to go and become a placeholder for Atiku so that if he’s booted out of the PDP, he will go to the SDP and become a candidate. So, as far as I am concerned, for this election of 2027, the PDP is out of the question, because Wike will never allow the party to stand on its feet, and he is influential; he dictates what happens in the judiciary. Or don’t you believe that? Go and read the new judgment against the Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, and the move to investigate Peter Odili after 18 years since he left office. If you look at it very well, you will know who is behind it.
I don’t discuss the North and I don’t discuss the South when I speak on democracy. Okay. If Tinubu is finishing and has done well, and Nigerians decide to vote for Seyi Tinubu, I have no grudge, provided there is a free and fair election. I have no grudge because that is democracy. And anybody who tells you there is any understanding or agreement between the North and South, tell him he’s a liar. And he doesn’t understand what democracy is. He doesn’t understand what politics is. That is why I want anyone to volunteer to tell me about one person who sat with another person from another part of the country to discuss the gentleman’s agreement. I want that person, please, just one. As far as I am concerned, I am talking about democracy, I am not talking about North and South. Also, I think Atiku should not contest in the 2027 election, this is my personal view. For me I could have thought that people have been supporting him since 1992, which is 33 years ago. It is also now time for him to support other people from whichever region he thinks is the best candidate for the job is from. I am not implying about North or South; other people supported him. He’s now getting old, and he would not be as sharp as expected. So, for me, Atiku should rest and anoint somebody who can even unify his political family structure, or he can promote his son for progress. Yes, if he is qualified. He is a Nigerian. Or is there anything that stops his son from becoming president? What they are doing with El-Rufai and the SDP will be an exercise in futility. El-Rufai is not a good salesman whose face you should put forward in the scheme of things.
I am sure if you ask him, he won’t deny that I am his friend, because on several occasions, I have advised him, and it worked for him. I want to tell him that it is counterproductive to destroy the opposition. It is counterproductive because when you destroy every institution, when you start to fall, you will fall from a cliff and knock your head on the rock. So, it is better to allow people to vent their anger, to vent their ideas, to vent whatever they have, so that you now have a feel of what is happening in the country. He should not rely on security agencies feeding him lies.
Discussion about this post