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By Myke Agunwa
Former Kaduna State Governor and chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed the wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying at the end of balloting, it is the voters, not the number of governors in the ruling party will determine the outcome of the 2027 election.
According to him, the defection of all governors into the ruling party would not change the will of the Nigerian electorate. He added that his mission in the SDP is to return power to the people and end the reign of godfathers.
He recalled that even as a sitting Governors, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwolu and himself could not deliver their respective states to the APC despite the power of incumbency.
Speaking to journalists in Kano, the former Kaduna State Governor maintained that the real power to determine the fate of candidates in the next general elections lies with the people.
“As far as I’m concerned, the defection of high-profile politicians is not the issue.
“These defections are good for headlines and to sell newspapers, but politically on the ground, if you don’t have the people, your profile means nothing.
“We want to return politics to the people, not to godfathers or so-called high-profile politicians.”
He continued, “A governor has only one vote. Nigerians have millions. If the people say no, it’s over.
“Even the president had a sitting governor and still lost Lagos. I was governor of Kaduna State.
“I fought hard to deliver the president in my state, but I lost. Governors don’t determine election results — the people do.”
The former governor expressed confidence that the SDP would serve as the best alternative to the APC and the PDP, noting that both the ruling and main opposition parties have been hijacked by powerful forces.
“I believe the SDP can recreate a major political force in Nigeria. Nigerians are yearning for a credible alternative — a new brand of politics, new faces, and a new style of governance.
“The APC started well but ended up being pocketed by one or two individuals. We want to avoid that in the SDP.
“We are building a party that no one owns, that offers a level playing field for all aspirants, ” he added.
El-Rufai further disclosed that there are concerted efforts to strengthen the SDP, targeting the registration of three million voters in Kano State alone.
“We are currently focused on building the party from the grassroots, ” he stressed.