Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has offered insights into the political calculations that led to the ouster of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections.
In a statement on Monday, El-Rufai cited dissatisfaction with Jonathan’s leadership and internal discontent within the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the time as key factors behind the change in government.
“First, there was the widespread perception that Jonathan was not governing the country effectively. Second, he had pledged not to run in 2015, which created problems within his own party,” El-Rufai stated.
He added that opposition parties—namely the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)—recognized the need to unite to avoid being picked off individually by the PDP.
“It was an act of self-preservation. We knew that unless we merged, the PDP would continue to defeat us one by one,” he said.
The merger of the three parties eventually gave rise to the All Progressives Congress (APC), which won the 2015 elections and ended the PDP’s 16-year rule.
