Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai resigned from membership as All Progressive Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP), ending months about his political future.
The former Minister of the former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) met with a political chief, including Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, March 9, which inspired speculation about his next move.
In a statement announcing the decision, El-Rufai said that APC had no choice but to seek another platform.
“As a founding member of All Progressive Conference (APC), I have made wonderful memories of my love of working with other fellow citizens to negotiate the merger of the parties that created the APC. Since 2013, I have hoped that my personal values and APC values will continue to be consistent until I choose to retire from politics,” the statement said.
“In the past two years, developments have confirmed that there is no desire for those who currently control and operate the APC to acknowledge, let alone address, the unhealthy situation of the party.
“In my case, I have attracted attention on the private side, and have recently raised concerns about the volatile trajectory of the Party in public. So, in my political journey, I have concluded that I must seek another political platform to pursue the gradual value I cherish.
“The founders are rightly attached to the institutions they helped create, but must be pragmatic enough to acknowledge when differences are impossible. I worked diligently for the APC and contributed to its viability as a political platform, but I recognize that the party has been in trouble since and has trapped me in the vision of its well-intentioned Founding Fathers and Mother.”
El-Rufai called on his supporters to join his SDP “and others who care about the future of our country.”
He added: “Today, on March 10, 2025, I submitted a letter to resign APC members to my ward in Kaduna, effective immediately.”
“Before this step, I have consulted with mentors, colleagues and loyalists across the country about the future. I have now decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and use it as a platform for our future political activities and activities.”
In January, El-Rufai met with Hamza al-Mustapha, the former aide of the late Sani Abacha; Shehu Gabam, the SDP country president; and other politicians in Abuja. Segun Sowunmi, a former spokesman for the Atiku Abubakar campaign, said the meeting was to develop a strategy ahead of the 2027 election.
El-Rufai earlier expressed his dissatisfaction with the APC and said in February that the gap between him and the party had “stretched”. He also criticized its leadership for holding gatherings like “single-man show” and failure to hold regular meetings.
El-Rufai has publicly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration since the Senate refused to confirm him as minister. In February, he dismissed the National Assembly’s claim that he rejected him as a ministerial candidate, instead accusing Tinob of changing his mind.
“The president publicly called on me to put my plans aside and in two months of negotiations we finally agreed that he would nominate me as minister,” he said.
“Please don’t believe that the National Assembly rejected my story. The president doesn’t want me to be in his cabinet. He changed his mind.” El-Rufai served as Governor Kaduna from 2015 to 2023.
