By declaring that “Governors don’t win elections,” former Kaduna State governor Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has thrown a sharp spotlight on the real mechanics of Nigerian politics, puncturing long-held assumptions about incumbency and control.
El-Rufai, a key strategist during Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential run, revealed a sobering personal lesson: despite being an APC governor and an “arrowhead” of the campaign, he could not deliver his state at the polls. The admission, blunt and unsentimental, challenges the myth that governors are electoral kingmakers.
The former minister’s remarks underscore a deeper truth—votes are won by voters, not by titles. Ground sentiment, local grievances, credibility of messengers and the persuasive power of ideas often trump the influence of officeholders. Party machinery helps, El-Rufai suggests, but it is not destiny.
In a political climate obsessed with defections and endorsements, the statement lands as a warning: power does not automatically translate into ballots. As parties recalibrate ahead of future contests, El-Rufai’s confession reframes strategy—win hearts first, then count votes.
In one sentence, the former governor has redrawn the map of political confidence: incumbency may shout, but the electorate whispers—and whispers decide elections.
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