JUST IN: El-Rufai Dumps APC, Joins SDP

Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State and a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has officially left the ruling party and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The announcement came on Monday, March 10, 2025, through a press statement in which El-Rufai expressed deep dissatisfaction with the APC’s current direction and leadership.

In the statement, El-Rufai cited a growing disconnect between his progressive values and what he described as the party’s deviation from its founding principles. He accused the APC leadership of ignoring repeated concerns raised over the past two years about the party’s trajectory. According to him, the party has failed to uphold the ideals it once stood for, leaving its internal structures weakened and its members sidelined.

“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. “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.”

El-Rufai played a key role in the formation of the APC in 2013, helping to negotiate the merger of legacy parties and contributing significantly to its electoral victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023. Reflecting on his time as governor, he emphasized his administration’s focus on human development through reforms in education, healthcare, infrastructure, job creation, and investment. However, he lamented that these contributions have been rendered meaningless in today’s APC.

“My eight-year tenure in Kaduna State was devoted to implementing progressive policies to advance human development,” he said. “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.”

El-Rufai confirmed that his resignation from the APC is effective immediately and has been submitted to his ward in Kaduna State. He announced his decision to continue his political career under the SDP, describing the party as a viable platform for genuine democratic engagement. He also urged his supporters and like-minded Nigerians to join him in the SDP as preparations begin for the 2027 general elections.