Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has said that it is the people who decide who wins elections in Nigeria, not governors, presidents, or political godfathers.

Speaking to journalists in Kano State, El-Rufai, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), said that the recent defections of top politicians don’t change anything. He said these moves might make headlines, but they don’t really affect elections unless the people support them.

El-Rufai explained that even a governor or a president only has one vote. The real power lies with millions of Nigerian voters. He gave an example from his own experience—when he was governor of Kaduna State, he tried to help the president win in his state but failed.

He also pointed out that even a sitting governor couldn’t help the president win Lagos State in the past.

His comments come after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and former PDP vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa recently joined the APC. There are also reports that more governors and lawmakers plan to join the ruling party.

El-Rufai made it clear: no matter how important a politician is, they can’t win an election without the people’s support.