Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has officially resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), setting the stage for a major political shift ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement shared on his verified Facebook page on Monday, El-Rufai confirmed that he had submitted his resignation to his APC ward in Kaduna after extensive consultations with his mentors, allies, and loyalists.
“As a founding member of the APC, I had hoped that my personal values would continue to align with the party. However, the events of the past two years show that those in control have no intention of addressing the party’s internal decay,” he said.
The former governor accused the APC leadership of sidelining its members and stifling democratic processes within the party.
El-Rufai, who played a pivotal role in APC’s victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023, stated that he could no longer remain in a party that has “castrated its organs and treated its membership with contempt.”
Now as an SDP member, he vowed to unite opposition forces to challenge the APC in upcoming elections.
“I will focus on persuading other opposition leaders and parties to join us under a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in all elections leading up to 2027,” he declared.
El-Rufai’s defection is expected to shake up the political landscape, as he calls on his supporters and other Nigerians concerned about the country’s future to join him in the SDP.
