By Enyichukwu Enemanna
After weeks of speculation, Nasir El-Rufai, a staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu, has left the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), pitching his political tent with the little-known opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP).
A former minister and governor of the north-western state of Kaduna, El-Rufai cited the APC’s leadership style for his exit, accusing the governing party of “straying” from the progressive ideals of its founding members.
“Developments in the last two years on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation of the state.
“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, whose nomination for a ministerial position in Tinubu’s government was rejected in 2023 by the Senate, said in a statement on Monday.
The Senate cited security reasons from the Department of State Services as one of the grounds for his rejection.
He backed Tinubu, a southern candidate in the governing APC, for the 2023 election against northern candidates who wanted to succeed Muhammadu Buhari.
A Muslim himself, El-Rufai, however, supported a Muslim-Muslim ticket, in violation of the long-standing tradition of religious balancing in the multi-religious West African state.
He has had a running battle with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, his one-time friend, whom he accused of attempting to “destroy” him over Ribadu’s alleged 2031 presidential ambition.
El-Rufai said he submitted his resignation letter to his ward in Kaduna North Local Government Area of the north-western state.
He described the SDP as the platform for his future political engagements, calling on his supporters and other concerned Nigerians to join him in the party. He emphasised the need for a unified democratic platform to challenge the APC in future elections.
His relationship with his successor, Governor Uba Sani, has also deteriorated following an investigation by the State House of Assembly over alleged corruption.
The SDP, though an old political party, does not control any of the 36 states of the federation.
