Ex Governor Dumps Nigeria’s Ruling Party For Opposition SDP

By Barth Ikiebe

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), to join opposition Social Democratic Party, SDP.

Rufai’s resignation letter has been submitted already to the leadership of the APC in his ward in Kaduna State.

Reports say the former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has also instructed all his supporters and associates to join the SDP.

The former Kaduna Governor cited a growing discord between his personal values and the current direction of the APC as the primary reason for his decision.

In a statement on Monday, 10 March, 2025, El-Rufai expressed disappointment with the APC’s leadership, accusing the party of straying from the progressive ideals of its founding members.

He revealed that he had raised concerns about the party’s trajectory both privately and publicly over the past two years but found no willingness among the current leadership to address the issues.

“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,” El-Rufai stated.

El-Rufai, who played a key role in the formation of the APC in 2013, recalled his efforts in negotiating the merger of political parties that led to the creation of the ruling party.
He also highlighted his contributions to the APC’s electoral successes in 2015, 2019, and 2023, as well as his tenure as Kaduna State Governor, during which he implemented policies focused on education, healthcare, infrastructure, job creation, and investment.

“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.”