Former Kaduna State Governor and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir El-Rufai, has left the ruling party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing a growing misalignment with the APC’s direction.
El-Rufai announced his decision in a statement on his X handle on Monday, March 10, expressing disappointment with the party’s leadership.
“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. I have now decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP),” he wrote.
In a lengthier post on Facebook, titled Nigeria Update: Onwards to the Future, the former governor reflected on his role in APC’s formation and accused the party’s current leadership of abandoning its founding ideals.
“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,” he stated.
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El-Rufai, who served two terms as Kaduna governor, said his contributions to the APC and its electoral victories had been disregarded.
“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. I find this no longer acceptable.”
He revealed that after consulting with political allies, he formally resigned from the APC on Monday and would work within the SDP to build a stronger opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“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,” he declared.
El-Rufai urged his supporters to join the SDP, expressing hope that Nigeria could still “flourish as a beacon of pride for Africans and the Black Race.”