Garba Muhammad Tells Atiku to Embrace Statesmanship, Urges El-Rufai to Return to APC
As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections, political tensions are gradually surfacing. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has sounded a clear warning to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, urging them to reconsider any presidential ambitions.
Garba Muhammad, APC’s National Vice Chairman for the North-West, gave the advice in an open letter, stating that Atiku should give up on running for president again and instead continue as an elder statesman.
Muhammad, a seasoned politician from Kaduna State who served 16 years in the House of Representatives, reminded Atiku of his multiple failed presidential bids dating back to 1993.
“Alhaji Atiku, it is in your best interest—and the country’s—to abandon the idea of contesting in 2027. You’ll be 80 by then. Be like former Vice President Namadi Sambo, who has remained an elder statesman since 2015,” he said.
Muhammad also warned Atiku against teaming up with disenchanted political figures to create a coalition against President Bola Tinubu, arguing that Atiku has no new solutions to offer and had, in the past, supported the removal of fuel subsidy and privatisation of key assets during his tenure as vice president.
El-Rufai Also Under Fire
Turning to Nasir El-Rufai, Muhammad questioned the former governor’s recent actions and called for him to reconcile with the APC. He reminded El-Rufai of his promise to quit politics entirely if he ever left the APC.
“You were a founding member of the party, served as governor under its banner, and now you’ve distanced yourself. Why? You once said you’d quit politics if you left APC. Perhaps it’s time to stand by your word or make peace with the party,” Muhammad wrote.
He criticized El-Rufai for suddenly becoming a critic of the APC and the Tinubu-led administration, despite having had direct access to the party’s leadership.
Kaduna Politics and National Representation
Muhammad praised the current inclusive leadership of Governor Uba Sani, attributing the relative peace in Kaduna to his governance style. He also pointed to strong representation of the North-West at the federal level, highlighting that the Speaker of the House of Representatives is from Kaduna, while the Deputy Senate President is from Kano.
“This is a historic moment for the North-West. We’ve never had such significant representation in the National Assembly and federal appointments. We should focus on consolidating these gains, not disrupting them,” he said.
Muhammad emphasized that any political misstep could jeopardize the region’s current influence and urged key figures like El-Rufai to think deeply before making moves that could backfire.
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