A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Dr Bashir Jamoh, has said the Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, remains a stakeholder in the ruling party.
Jamoh made the declaration amid swirling speculations about the former Kaduna State governor’s political allegiance during a press conference with journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, where he addressed recent claims linking El-Rufai with opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former NIMASA boss acknowledged El-Rufai’s recent mention of other parties such as the Social Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, but insisted the former governor has not left the APC in any official capacity.
He said, “As far as I’m concerned, this is my opinion — Malam Nasir El-Rufai is still with us. Yes, he mentioned his membership of the SDP. Yes, he mentioned the ADC. But we are yet to get to the point of bidding him farewell. He’s someone we still consult. We still seek his expertise, his knowledge, and his advice. Forget the politics for a moment. This is about public service. Whenever we need his advice, he gives it. And if he refuses to give it when asked, I believe God will ask him why.”
Jamoh described the former governor as a political institution whose impact on the development of Kaduna State and the APC could not be easily dismissed.
“You cannot disown your child of eight years. He was Minister under the PDP. He joined CPC, which merged into APC, and governed this state for eight years. He’s a part of our political history,” he added.
While admitting that El-Rufai has the right to make personal political decisions, Jamoh said the APC in Kaduna would remain open to him.
“If Malam today says he’s no longer with ADC, we’ll still remain with him. If he goes to ADC, we’ll wait and see how far the ADC goes,” he said.
According to him, the ADC in the state was still struggling to establish its structure and could not pose a serious challenge to the APC.
“We don’t even know who is who in the ADC yet. Yes, we hear he is the North-West leader of the ADC, but as far as Kaduna is concerned, they are underperforming,” he said.
Jamoh also addressed concerns over whether the APC could withstand the threat of the former governor aligning with an opposition party.
He argued that since El-Rufai had exhausted his constitutional limit of two terms as governor, the focus should not be on him as an individual but on the strength of any party he associates with.
“Are you talking about El-Rufai or the ADC? Nasir El-Rufai cannot contest for governorship again. That chapter is closed. So, the question is whether ADC or any opposition party can defeat the APC in this state — and I say no,” he said.
Speaking metaphorically, Jamoh added, “In Hausa, there’s a proverb: when you grind your corn, you can’t throw the whole thing into a pot because it’ll be too heavy. APC is too heavy for any party here.
“Maybe you don’t know Kaduna politics very well. Go and take an independent survey today. Who stands a chance of winning the gubernatorial election after Uba Sani? Check opposition parties. Who and who among them can challenge the APC? We have more than 10 capable candidates. I challenge you — do the research.”
While conceding that the APC faces some internal challenges, Jamoh maintained that the party remained Kaduna’s dominant political force and was already taking steps to address concerns.
“Yes, there are challenges. I agree. But we are addressing them. That’s why I’m speaking to you now. Don’t fall for the propaganda that people are leaving in droves.
“Don’t throw away what you have because you think the opposition can beat APC. Remember where you invested. One day, you will reap the benefit of that investment,” he said.
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