El-Rufai Vows To Stop APC, Defects To SDP

Former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has vowed that he would work to unite opposition leaders against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in future elections.
Mallam El-Rufai, governor of Kaduna state from 2015 to 2023, has been critical of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly since the Senate refused to confirm him as minister. He said Nigerians should not believe the narrative that the National Assembly rejected him as a ministerial nominee, noting that Tinubu did not want him in his cabinet.
In a statement on his verified Facebook page announcing his resignation from the APC on Monday, Mallam el-Rufai claimed that the ruling party had derailed from its values.
“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 wrote.
Mallam el-Rufai said he had repeatedly raised concerns about the party’s leadership but saw no effort to address them.
“Without prejudice to this decision, as a member of the SDP, 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.
“I, therefore, call on all our supporters and other persons concerned about our country’s future to join us in the SDP in the journey towards making Nigeria flourish as a beacon of pride for Africans and the Black Race”, he said.
Meanwhile, mixed reactions have since trailed his defection. While former APC National vice chairman (North West), Dr. Salihu Lukman, described el-Rufai’s defection as hasty, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, federal character commissioner from Oyo State and former Commissioner for Education, said the move was a political suicide.
In Kaduna, political observers noted that his defection may have been hastened by the return of his arch political enemies to the APC. The former governor had been locked in political battles with the likes of Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi, Shehu Sani and many others who were then card-carrying members of the APC. Hunkuyi, after a political fight with el-Rufai left APC for the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) while Shehu Sani left APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, less than 24 hours after Shehu Sani, former senator representing Kaduna Central, openly declared support for Governor Uba Sani’s reelection bid, el-Rufai officially announced his defection.
Sources said the return of Shehu Sani and other prominent politicians including Hunkuyi, Senator Danjuma Laah, former Governor Ramalan Yero and others to the APC recently actually unsettled el-Rufai in the party.
Reacting via telephone with The Tide source, Senator Sani said: “el-Rufai leaving APC for SDP wouldn’t make any difference for someone with no political relevance again. But one thing is sure, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani will be voted again.”
The National Coordinator of the Disciples of Jagaban (DOJ), Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, also boasted that the defection of the former governor was not a threat to APC’s victory in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement, Alawuje said: “It is evident that this move is nothing more than an empty threat that holds no real political weight. Thousands of politicians, more experienced and influential than el-Rufai, have already made their way back to the APC, recognising that the party remains the strongest force in Nigeria’s political arena.
“There is no political force strong enough to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. Those who think otherwise are merely testing their political microphone at a low volume. The so-called coalition of expired politicians seeking relevance will not make any difference. Their efforts resemble a shameful dance to a drumbeat that no one will hear. If they insist on making noise, they will be the ones to dance to their own embarrassment.
“The 2027 election is a done deal. It will expose and silence selfish politicians who prioritize personal ambitions over national unity. Ironically, many of these opposition figures were once governors, ministers, or vice presidents, yet they failed to uplift the masses they now claim to represent”.