Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has officially resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP). In a statement dated March 10, 2025, El-Rufai cited a growing misalignment between his personal values and the APC’s current direction as the primary reason for his defection.

El-Rufai submitted his resignation letter to the APC leadership in his ward in Kaduna State and has urged his political allies and supporters to follow him to the SDP. He accused the APC leadership of abandoning the progressive ideals upon which the party was founded, stating, “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.”

This move has been anticipated, especially after recent defections of El-Rufai’s loyalists to the SDP in Kaduna State. Nasiru Maikano, who emerged as the interim chairman of the SDP in Kaduna, remarked, “We have decided to leave the APC and join the SDP because we believe that the party aligns more closely with our vision for the future of Kaduna State.”

El-Rufai’s departure from the APC marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, with potential implications for the upcoming 2027 general elections.