By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State and a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), announced his resignation from the ruling party on March 10, 2025, citing a departure from its founding principles.
El-Rufai expressed his disillusionment with the APC’s current trajectory, stating that the party’s leadership has shown little interest in addressing internal issues. He highlighted his efforts to voice concerns both privately and publicly, emphasizing that the APC has strayed from the vision of its founders.
Reflecting on his tenure as governor from 2015 to 2023, El-Rufai underscored his commitment to progressive policies in education, healthcare, infrastructure development, and investment promotion. However, he lamented that these contributions hold little value in the current APC, which he claims has sidelined its members and neglected internal democratic processes over the past two years.
Effective immediately, El-Rufai has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and plans to collaborate with other opposition leaders to form a unified platform challenging the APC in upcoming elections leading to 2027. He called on supporters and concerned citizens to join the SDP in efforts to make Nigeria a beacon of pride for Africans and the Black race.
This move follows El-Rufai’s previous public criticisms of the APC. In a February 2025 interview, he expressed feeling “stranded” as the party had deviated from its founding values, and he no longer recognized it. He criticized the lack of internal democracy, noting that key decision-making bodies had not convened in over two years.
El-Rufai’s departure from the APC and alignment with the SDP mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, potentially influencing the dynamics of future elections.
