El-Rufai Dumps APC, Joins New Party
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the immediate-past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In a statement issued on Monday, El-Rufai expressed his dissatisfaction with the leadership of the APC, accusing them of straying from the progressive ideals held by the party’s founding members.
“At this stage of my political journey, I have concluded that I must seek a new political platform to pursue the progressive values I hold dear. I have decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP),” he wrote on Twitter.
El-Rufai revealed that he had raised concerns about the party’s direction both privately and publicly over the past two years, but found no willingness from the current leadership to address these issues.
“Over the past two years, the leadership of the APC has shown little to no interest in acknowledging, let alone addressing, the unhealthy state of the party,” he said.
He continued, “During my eight years as governor of Kaduna State, I focused on implementing progressive policies aimed at advancing human development. Unfortunately, these accomplishments seem insignificant in the current APC, which has undermined its organs and treated its members with disdain over the past two years. I can no longer accept this.”
El-Rufai confirmed that he had submitted his resignation letter to his ward in Kaduna North Local Government Area.
Describing the SDP as the platform for his future political endeavors, El-Rufai called on his supporters and other concerned Nigerians to join him in the SDP, stressing the importance of creating a unified democratic force to challenge the APC in future elections.
