Former Kaduna State Governor and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir El-Rufai, has officially left the ruling party, announcing his move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The prominent politician attributed his defection to a growing misalignment between his personal values and the APC’s current direction.
In a press statement released on his X handle on Monday, El-Rufai expressed disappointment with the APC leadership, accusing the party of straying from the progressive principles envisioned by its founders.
“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. Since 2013, I have hoped that my personal values and those of the APC would continue to align until I chose to retire from politics.
“Developments in the last two years confirm that those who currently control and run the APC do not desire to acknowledge, much less address, the party’s unhealthy situation. I have raised concerns in private and, more recently, in public regarding the party’s capricious trajectory. Therefore, at this point in my political journey, I have come to the conclusion that I must seek another political platform to pursue the progressive values I cherish.
“Founders rightly feel attached to 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 I 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,” he stated.
The former governor confirmed that he had submitted his resignation from the APC after extensive consultations with his mentors, colleagues, and political loyalists. He added that he settled on the SDP as his new political platform in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
“Without prejudice to this decision, as a member of the SDP, I will focus on engaging with and persuading other opposition leaders and parties to join us and congregate under a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections and bye-elections between now and 2027 by the Grace of God,” El-Rufai declared.
He also urged his supporters and other Nigerians to join the SDP, emphasizing the need to restore Nigeria’s status as a beacon of pride for Africa and the global black community.
El-Rufai’s defection follows his recent criticism of the APC’s National Executive Council and Board of Trustees for failing to convene meetings throughout 2023. He notably refused to attend the party’s last stakeholders’ meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, citing improper notice.
Additionally, El-Rufai was seen in Lagos over the weekend visiting former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, and prominent cleric, Pastor Tunde Bakare. Photographs from these meetings circulated widely on social media, fueling speculation about his political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
While the details of his discussions with Aregbesola and Bakare remain undisclosed, analysts believe the meetings are part of broader political consultations as El-Rufai navigates his new political path.
