Why We Formed APC to Remove Jonathan – El-Rufai Speaks on 2015 Merger, Coalition Against Tinubu
By Grace Uzuh | Published June 24, 2025
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has shed light on the true reasons behind the political merger that unseated ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, dispelling claims that coalitions only emerge when a Southerner is in power.
Speaking in response to growing public perception that political coalitions are strategically formed to oppose Southern leadership, El-Rufai said such views are misleading and oversimplified.
“The coalition against Jonathan wasn’t about his being from the South. It was about performance,” El-Rufai stated. He emphasized that the merger that birthed the All Progressives Congress (APC) was a result of frustration with Jonathan’s governance, not ethnic or regional bias.
“There was a strong sentiment that Jonathan was not doing a good job, and many Nigerians wanted change. That’s what brought about the merger. It had nothing to do with the North or South,” he said.
El-Rufai, who was a key architect in the formation of APC and served through President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year administration, stressed that the coalition had broad national support. He pointed out that Buhari, despite being heavily criticized, was never challenged by a coalition during his tenure.
In a twist of political fate, El-Rufai has since defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). His move has sparked speculation that he is disgruntled over being overlooked for a ministerial role in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Now a key player in the opposition bloc, El-Rufai is part of the growing coalition determined to unseat President Tinubu in 2027 and “send him back to his Lagos residence.”
His statements come amid heightened political tensions and growing discussions about a possible mega-opposition alliance ahead of the next general election.
