Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused Nigerians of allowing bandits to take over positions of authority in the country.
Speaking at a public lecture held in honour of former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, El-Rufai said: “What we have done in this country is to allow bandits—not those in the bushes, but urban bandits—to take over the governance of our country.”
With the 2027 general elections approaching, he urged Nigerians to carefully scrutinise those aspiring for leadership roles and select individuals with competence, capacity, and commitment to move Nigeria forward.
“I believe the celebrant, Rotimi Amaechi, is one of the few who can be called capable, competent, and committed,” El-Rufai added.
He also revealed that Amaechi had been displeased with him for not supporting him during the last All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries.
“He said many people told him I was upset with him. I replied, I know. But when Nigeria is in bigger trouble, he will come and we’ll work together. So here we are, back together, because Nigeria is in its biggest trouble since 1914. We are conspiring to build a coalition to take Nigeria back on track because it is off track.”
Also at the event, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the current administration for weaponising poverty.
“You may call me a conspirator or whatever name you choose. That is why we are in this alliance — to stop them from weaponising poverty. Of course, one of our star conspirators is former Governor Rotimi Amaechi,” Atiku said.
He continued, “We are here to wish you many happy returns, and we will continue to conspire with you to reduce poverty and stop the misuse of state machinery to exploit poverty.”
The Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, also spoke at the event, highlighting the deep poverty across Nigeria.
According to the Emir, many elites do not understand what poverty truly means.
“In all my years as an economist, banker, and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, I never understood poverty until I became Emir. The poverty in urban centres like Abuja, Lagos, and Kano is nothing compared to that in the villages,” he said.
Sanusi challenged leaders to reflect on whether they genuinely care for their people or merely seek to rule over them.
“We build flyovers and overhead bridges in cities and think that is development. Meanwhile, some people cannot reach the nearest hospital because of bad roads. Just yesterday, about 115 people died due to floods because there was no investment in emergency response,” he stated.
He added, “If leaders truly loved their people, they would not allow them to be uneducated, malnourished, or to die hungry.”
The Emir concluded with a warning: “Those still saying Nigeria is not in crisis should wake up. We are living with banditry and insecurity. What is there to wait for? The real challenge is how to get out of it.”
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