By Tgnews
In a stark warning, Nasir El-Rufai, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has cautioned that the party’s supporters in the South West are “playing with fire” ahead of the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai’s warning is rooted in the increasingly deteriorating relationship between the North and President Bola Tinubu’s administration, fueled by the words and actions of many from the President’s geopolitical zone and tribe.
The party’s supporters in the South West are “playing with fire” ahead of the 2027 elections
El-Rufai’s concerns are not unfounded, as he recalls the 2015 presidential election, where former President Goodluck Jonathan’s attitude and that of his supporters towards the North ultimately led to his downfall. The then-first lady and elements from the South South geopolitical zone, particularly Jonathan’s Ijaw kinsmen, were accused of disrespecting and insulting the North, which contributed significantly to the APC’s victory.
The APC member warned that his party should not underestimate the North, as it did in 2015, and that the current “ghaghagha” (ruckus) in the party and among its supporters could lead to a similar outcome in 2027. El-Rufai emphasized that the party’s obsession with winning elections at all costs, rather than adhering to its progressive ideology, could ultimately lead to its downfall.
As an APC member, I naturally would want my party to win re-election in 2027. However, as a realist, I have my concerns
“It is actually premature to be talking about 2027 elections less than 2 years into our first tenure, but what is happening in the political arena is forcing me to speak to it, for as they say, ‘a stitch in time saves nine’,” El-Rufai stated. “As an APC member, I naturally would want my party to win re-election in 2027. However, as a realist, I have my concerns.”
El-Rufai’s warning serves as a reminder that the APC’s success in 2023 was, in part, due to the support of the northerners.
