JUST IN: El-Rufai Resigns from APC, Joins SDP to Challenge Ruling Party
Former Kaduna State Governor and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has officially resigned from the party, citing a deviation from its founding principles. In a statement released today, El-Rufai announced his decision to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), positioning it as a platform for future political engagements.
El-Rufai, who played a key role in the formation of the APC in 2013, expressed disappointment over the party’s current trajectory, stating that those in control have failed to address its internal challenges. He emphasized that despite his efforts to raise concerns, both privately and publicly, the APC has continued on a path that he finds “no longer acceptable.”
“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,” El-Rufai said.
Having served as Governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, El-Rufai highlighted his administration’s focus on progressive policies in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. However, he lamented that these values no longer align with the APC’s current direction.
“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,” he stated.
El-Rufai confirmed that he had submitted his resignation letter to his APC ward in Kaduna, following consultations with his political allies and supporters. He further declared his intention to mobilize opposition leaders under a unified front to challenge the APC in upcoming elections, including the 2027 general elections.
“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 urged.
With this move, El-Rufai becomes one of the most prominent figures to leave the APC in recent times, setting the stage for heightened political realignments ahead of the next electoral cycle.
