The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has expressed that Nasir El-Rufai’s departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by personal ambitions. Bwala explained that El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State, opted for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) instead of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because he desired a platform where he could assert influence and control.
During an interview with TVC on Wednesday, Bwala reflected on how El-Rufai had previously committed to remaining with the ruling APC, emphasizing how unexpected his move was. He pointed out that unlike the PDP, the SDP lacks a robust structure, and its Chairman, Shehu Gabam, is a personal friend of El-Rufai, suggesting that this relationship would allow El-Rufai to exercise a significant degree of influence within the SDP.
Bwala remarked, “The reason El-Rufai didn’t join the PDP is that he cannot impose his will on them given their existing structure. However, with the SDP, the chairman is his friend, granting him the opportunity to have substantial sway. Let me remind you, don’t we recall El-Rufai declaring he would never leave the APC till his dying day? Or his insistence that there is no party other than the APC? I’m not criticizing him for this shift; it’s understandable if his sentiments evolved with time. However, while his constitutional right to choose his associations is respected, it is crucial to scrutinize his underlying motives.”
