Nobody can match Buhari's popularity, El-Rufai tells ex-VP

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has reacted to the resignation of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) by declaring that he is not a threat to President Muhammadu Buharis reelection chances.

In a resignation letter signed by Atiku on Friday, November 24, 2017, he accused President Buhari of neglecting him and condemned the APC for "instituting a regime of a draconian clampdown on all forms of democracy".

While speaking to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday, Governor El-Rufai said Atiku's exit will not cause him any sleepless nights, as other prominent party members will stay. The governor further noted that no Nigerian can currently match President Buhari in popularity and contest against him in an election.

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Atiku's presidential ambition

With Atiku finally out of the APC, he is expected to declare his intention to run for president in 2019, most likely with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) where he lost the primaries in 2011.

He has contested for the president's seat a number of times, losing to the late President Umaru Yar'Adua in the 2007 presidential election and losing in the primaries to eventual winners President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP and President Buhari of the APC in the 2011 and 2015 presidential elections respectively.