A FORMER governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai announced his resignation from the ruling APC – a party he joined others to found in 2013 – on Monday, March 10.
The move was disclosed in a letter posted on his social media handles.
In the letter, the former governor stated that, as a founding member of the APC, he had fond memories of working with other compatriots to negotiate the merger of political parties that created the party.
He said he had hoped since 2013 that his values and those of the APC would align pending when he retires from politics.
“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 of the party. 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. Today, the 10th of March 2025, I have submitted a letter resigning my membership of the APC to my ward in Kaduna, effective immediately,” El Rufai said.
He revealed that he had concluded consultations with his mentors, colleagues, and loyalists about his political future and had decided to join the SDP.
The sign of El-Rufai’s moving to the SDP was obvious last week when his close ally, Nasiru Abdullahi Maikano, emerged as the new interim chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party in Kaduna State.
El-Rufai has been meeting with key opposition figures in recent weeks. On Sunday, pictures emerged of him meeting the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; a former Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola; and a clergyman, Tunde Bakare.
These meetings have fueled rumours of a possible realignment in Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the next election cycle.
In February, El-Rufai raised concerns over the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, questioning the competence of those overseeing the policies.
While acknowledging that some of the policies were rooted in orthodox economic principles, he argued that their implementation had been flawed.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, El-Rufai, on Monday, February 24, the former governor argued that the government’s approach to some of the policies was wrong.
Recall that El-Rufai, who was nominated by Tinubu for a ministerial position in 2023, was among those denied confirmation by the Senate.
The Senate had declined to confirm his nomination, alongside Stella Okotete (Delta) and Abubakar Danladi (Taraba), citing unresolved security reports.
But the former governor stated that the National Assembly had no role in his exclusion and that Tinubu personally decided against appointing him.
A reporter with the ICIR
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