…We’re Not Disturbed By El-Rufai’s Defection To SDP – Kaduna APC
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai has formerly resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and joined the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
“Today, the 10th of March 2025, I have submitted a letter resigning my membership of the APC to my ward in Kaduna, effective immediately.
“Subsequent to this, I had concluded consultations with my mentors, colleagues and loyalists alike about the future, and have decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and adopt it as the platform for our future political engagements and activities,” the former Kaduna governor said in a statement.
El-Rufai noted that developments in the last two years confirm that there is no desire on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation in the party.
He added, “On my part, I have raised concerns in private and, more recently, in public regarding the capricious trajectory of the party.
“Therefore, at this point in my political journey, I have come to the conclusion that I must seek another political platform for the pursuit of the progressive values I cherish.”
El-Rufai stated that founders rightly feel attached towards institutions they helped create, but one must be pragmatic enough to admit when a divergence appears unbridgeable.
“I have diligently served the APC and made my contributions to its viability as a political platform but recognize that the party has since strayed and left me stuck in the vision of its well-meaning founding fathers and mothers.
“As a loyal party man, I worked to help secure the APC’s election victories in 2015, 2019 and 2023. I was one of the many governors elected on the party’s platform in 2015 and 2019, that stood for certain democratic and progressive principles to advance nation-building.”
The former governor stressed that his eight-year tenure in Kaduna State was devoted to implementing progressive policies to advance human development in education and healthcare, as well as expand infrastructure, promote equality of opportunity, create jobs and attract investments.
He noted that these records count for little in the current APC that has castrated its organs and treated its membership with contempt in the last two years, and he found the situation no longer acceptable.
“As a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have fond memories of working with other compatriots to negotiate the merger of political parties that created the APC.
“It had been my hope since 2013 that my personal values and that of the APC will align up to the time I choose to retire from politics,” El-Rufai stated.
He said that as a member of the SDP, he would focus on engaging with and persuading other opposition leaders and parties to join the party and congregate under a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections and bye-elections between now and 2027.
“I therefore call on all our supporters and other persons concerned about our country’s future to join us in the SDP in the journey towards making Nigeria flourish as a beacon of pride for Africans and the Black Race,” he said.
We’re Not Disturbed By El-Rufai’s Defection To SDP – Kaduna APC
Meanwhile,the Kaduna chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it will not lose sleep over the defection of the immediate past governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai had on Monday announced his resignation from the APC, expressing disappointment with the ruling party’s leadership style. He accused it of straying from the progressive ideals of its founding members.
However, in its reaction, the Kaduna State chapter of the APC in a statement by its secretary, Yahaya Pate, said the party remained unperturbed by the defection of the former governor.
According to him, the APC is focused on delivering Kaduna State to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani in 2027.
“We are unperturbed by former governor Nasir El-Rufai’s defection to another party. Our focus in Kaduna is on how to deliver the state to both President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani come 2027.
“The APC in Kaduna State is growing day by day, judging from the calibre of politicians streaming into the party daily. So, we are not disturbed by anybody defecting to another party based on our governor’s inclusive governance in Kaduna State. We are not disturbed and we are not going to lose sleep over El-Rufai’s moves”.
The former governor was a founding member of the ruling party, leading Kaduna State for eight years under it. El-Rufai was also instrumental in the APC win of the presidential election in 2015 and played a similar role in President Tinubu’s 2023 victory.
While he was shortlisted for a ministerial role following Tinubu’s win, El-Rufai did not scale the screening process, a move that fractured his relationship with the president and the ruling party
