Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has described the recent wave of governors defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a political paradox with little to no real impact on the national polity.

Speaking with reporters in Kano on Monday, El-Rufai cautioned the APC against being deceived by defections, insisting that governors and so-called political bigwigs do not determine the voting patterns of Nigerians.

“President Tinubu had his governor in Lagos, and I was the sitting governor in Kaduna, yet we both lost our States in the 2023 Presidential Elections,” El-Rufai noted.

“This proves that political heavyweights cannot control the sovereign voting rights of Nigerians.”

He emphasized that a governor is largely influential only over himself and cannot guarantee electoral control over even the state he governs.

“Their celebrations will be short-lived when the real political reckoning begins,” he warned.

El-Rufai used the forum to signal his support for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), describing it as the most viable platform to offer Nigerians a credible political alternative.

“I believe strongly that the SDP provides the potential to recreate a major political party. Nigerians need a credible alternative,” he said.

He stressed the importance of internal democracy, stating that both the APC and PDP have failed Nigerians.

“The PDP ruled for 16 years and the APC for 10 years. Nigerians are yearning for a new brand of politics, new governance styles, and new faces,” El-Rufai asserted.

According to him, the fundamental flaw in Nigerian political parties has been godfatherism and the absence of internal democracy. “We want to eliminate that in the SDP. We want a party that no one owns or controls,” he said.

El-Rufai explained that while the APC started well, it has since been “pocketed by one or two individuals,” a fate he said the SDP must avoid.

“If all the major opposition groups come into the SDP as equal partners and Nigerians see a truly people-driven platform, we would offer a genuine alternative,” he added.

The former governor dismissed the significance of governors defecting to other parties, asserting that electoral outcomes are determined by the people, not political elites.

“A governor has only one vote. Even if you collect 36 governors, if the people of Nigeria are not with you, it’s over,” he declared.

Reflecting on his experience in Kaduna, El-Rufai admitted, “I fought hard to deliver the president in my State, but I lost. Governors don’t determine election results; the people do. And the SDP must remind Nigerians of that.”

El-Rufai concluded by emphasizing that his move to the SDP was not to align with failed parties like the PDP, but to help build something new and refreshing for Nigerians.

“The PDP is a spent force; the APC has been captured. We are looking to create something new — a party Nigerians can truly call their own,” he stated.

Negotiations, he added, are ongoing with other groups committed to building a viable alternative for the country.