By John Moses
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has announced his commitment to uniting key political actors under a single party platform, as part of a growing coalition aimed at offering an alternative to Nigeria’s current leadership.
El-Rufai, who recently joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), explained that the coalition members had agreed to remain within their respective political parties for now. However, once a suitable unified platform emerges, they plan to collectively move to it.
“Peter Obi is still in the Labour Party (LP), and I’m in SDP. The understanding is that we all stay in our legacy parties until we find a shared platform. Once that happens, we’ll come together under one roof,” El-Rufai stated during a media interaction.
The former governor said his involvement stems from a sense of responsibility, given his past role in bringing the current administration to power. “I was among those who brought this evil upon the land, and I believe I should also be part of the effort to remove this wicked government,” he said.
El-Rufai stressed that personal ambitions are not currently on the table. “Big names don’t mean big ambitions. None of us is talking about positions right now,” he added. He further clarified that the ongoing coalition talks differ significantly from the 2013 merger that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that today’s movement is being led by individuals rather than political parties.