Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has launched a scathing criticism of the leadership of the Nigerian Senate, particularly Senate President Godswill Akpabio, over the ongoing controversy surrounding the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act.

 

Speaking during a recent public engagement, El-Rufai accused the Senate leadership of deliberately frustrating the amendment that seeks to legalise real-time electronic transmission of election results, a reform he said is crucial to ending electoral malpractice in Nigeria. According to him, the House of Representatives had already passed the provision, but the Senate had stalled the process for political reasons.

 

El-Rufai alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is resisting the reform out of fear of losing future elections, insisting that electronic transmission of results would significantly reduce rigging. He further stated that he would have joined former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in protesting at the National Assembly if he had been in the country.

 

In unusually strong language, the former governor singled out Senate President Akpabio, accusing him of acting in the executive’s interest rather than defending democratic principles. He stressed that the problem lies not with the Senate as an institution, but with its leadership.

 

El-Rufai also spoke on broader political issues ahead of the 2027 presidential election, dismissing claims that the APC’s control of a majority of state governors guarantees electoral victory. Drawing from personal experience, he noted that governors only have one vote each, recalling that he was a sitting governor when President Bola Tinubu lost Kaduna State in a previous election.

 

On the opposition front, El-Rufai disclosed that there would be no zoning arrangement in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary, suggesting that the party is open to all aspirants regardless of region.

 

Addressing speculation about his relationship with his successor, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, El-Rufai denied being a political godfather. He stated that he has no personal or political relationship with the incumbent governor, revealing that he has not communicated with him since leaving office and has no interest in influencing his administration.

 

El-Rufai’s remarks have sparked widespread reactions across political circles, reigniting debates on electoral reforms, internal party democracy, and the role of political leadership in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.