Newsbreak:El-Rufai ditches APC, joins SDP to unite opposition
By Samuel Ogunsona
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He has joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
This decision comes after El-Rufai expressed his disappointment with the APC’s leadership and trajectory, stating that the party has strayed from its founding democratic principles and progressive ideals.
In Kaduna State where El Rufai comes from, he has lost grip with his former associate, Uba Sanni, now the Governor of the State.
Some believe El Rufai left the APC because he found it difficult to control the Presidency and possibly to achieve his unhidden agenda of ensuring power returns to the North, specifically his Fulani ethnic hegemony.
El Rufai support for Tinubu in the 2023 Presidential election was a surprise turnaround having worked underground to undermine him for eight years.
In his resignation letter, El-Rufai cited the APC’s failure to address its internal issues as one of his reasons for leaving.
He emphasized that he has raised concerns about the party’s “capricious trajectory” in private and public, but to no avail. El-Rufai noted that he has diligently served the APC and contributed to its viability, but the party has since strayed from its original vision.
As a founding member of the APC, El-Rufai expressed his attachment to the party, but acknowledged that a divergence has appeared, making it necessary for him to seek another political platform.
He highlighted his achievements during his eight-year tenure as Governor of Kaduna State, including implementing progressive policies in education, healthcare, and infrastructure development.
El-Rufai has now joined the SDP, which he believes will provide a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in future elections.
He called on his supporters and like-minded individuals to join him in the SDP, stating, “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.”
