Former Kaduna State governor and leading figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nasir El-Rufai, has declared that the party will not zone its presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that all aspirants will be given equal opportunity through open and competitive primaries.
El-Rufai made the declaration during an extended interview on Trust TV’s 30 Minutes, where he also spoke on the ADC’s internal preparations, rising public anger against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and the controversy surrounding the proposed amendment to Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
The former governor dismissed suggestions that the ADC is inactive or unprepared, explaining that the party’s strategy differs from that of earlier political coalitions that relied heavily on public spectacle and media noise.
According to him, the ADC is quietly building structures from the grassroots upward while finalising internal processes that will soon become visible to Nigerians.
“This party is not a coalition of several parties; it is a coalition of individuals,” El-Rufai said.
“A lot of background work is being done, a lot of outreach at the grassroots is being done, which may not be in the media.”
He added that internal polling already shows the ADC enjoys growing national support and remains the preferred alternative to the current government.
“I assure you, our party is the preferred party for Nigerians,” he said.
ADC rejects zoning, promises open primaries
El-Rufai said the ADC will not adopt zoning or impose consensus candidates, stressing that internal democracy will guide its selection process at all levels.
“We will not have zoning. We will not force anyone to step down,” he said.
“Everyone will be given the opportunity to contest, and whoever wins will be supported by all.”
He explained that while national-level activities may appear muted, the party is mobilising aggressively at polling unit and ward levels, where elections are ultimately decided.
According to him, public frustration with economic hardship and governance failures has created an opening that the ADC is tapping into quietly.
“Ask members of the National Assembly if they can visit their constituencies,” he said.
“Many of them cannot go home without heavy security because people are angry.”
El-Rufai rejected suggestions that such mobilisation could encourage violence, insisting that supporters are being urged to ask civic questions about representation and accountability.
“We are not mobilising people to be violent. We are mobilising people to ask questions,” he said.
Governors defecting won’t decide 2027, El-Rufai says
Addressing concerns over opposition governors defecting to the ruling party, El-Rufai argued that political power ultimately lies with voters, not officeholders.
He said many governors mistakenly believe control of state resources, security agencies, and institutions guarantees electoral success.
“The governor has only one vote,” he said.
“When the time comes, the people of Nigeria will decide.”
El-Rufai recalled that despite being a sitting governor and senior APC figure, his party lost key elections in Kaduna State, including Senate seats and the presidential vote.
According to him, mass defections to the APC may ultimately clarify the stakes of the 2027 election.
“Let all the governors move to APC,” he said.
“It defines clearly what 2027 is about: those who have been stealing since 2023 versus the people of Nigeria.”
El-Rufai backs electronic transmission of results
The former governor also launched a strong attack on the Senate over its handling of proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, particularly the provision for mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units.
El-Rufai said he would have joined a protest at the National Assembly led by ADC figures, including Peter Obi, if he had been in the country.
“I would have joined Mr. Peter Obi and other party leaders in protesting to restore the real-time transmission of results,” he said.
According to him, manipulation rarely occurs at polling units but during result collation.
“That is where the real rigging takes place,” he said.
“Rigging doesn’t happen in the polling unit; it happens in the collation centres.”
He accused the ruling party of opposing electronic transmission because it limits post-election interference.
“They know they can’t win elections without manipulation,” he alleged.
El-Rufai expressed confidence that a National Assembly conference committee would recommend restoring the provision and said lawmakers would act in their own self-interest to protect electoral credibility.
“It’s for their own survival and the survival of democracy,” he said.
‘Tinubu and I were never friends’
El-Rufai also dismissed long-standing assumptions about a close personal relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that their association was never based on friendship.
“There is an assumption that I was ever Tinubu’s friend. I was not,” he said.
“We never got along, and we never had a personal relationship.”
He explained that his support for Tinubu’s candidacy was driven by party principles and power rotation agreements, not personal affinity.
According to him, philosophical differences made long-term alignment impossible.
“We are parallel lines that will never meet,” El-Rufai said.
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