Senator Shehu Sani has brushed off the significance of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s exit from the All-Progressives Congress (APC), asserting that it will have little bearing on the ruling party’s prospects in the 2027 elections. El-Rufai, who recently defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after being a founding member of the APC, made a move that some analysts predicted would reshape Nigeria’s political landscape. However, Sani, a fellow Kaduna native, argues that El-Rufai’s departure is inconsequential and even beneficial to the APC.
Speaking on a monitored program on Monday, Sani, the former senator for Kaduna Central, described El-Rufai as a liability to the party during his tenure as governor. “For those of us from Kaduna State, his defection is good riddance because he was a burden to the party in the state,” Sani remarked. He backed his claim with electoral evidence, pointing to the APC’s declining performance under El-Rufai’s leadership. “In 2015, APC had two senators from Kaduna. By 2023, the PDP swept all three senatorial zones. Of the 14 House of Representatives seats, the PDP won nine, Labour Party took two, and APC was left with just three. Even the presidential election was lost by APC in Kaduna State while he was governor.”
El-Rufai, who served as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister before his governorship, justified his defection by accusing the APC of straying from its progressive roots. “At this stage of my political career, I’ve concluded that I need a new platform to pursue the progressive ideals I hold dear,” he stated. A key figure in securing the APC’s presidential victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023, El-Rufai’s relationship with the party deteriorated after he was excluded from consideration for a ministerial position in 2023.
Sani, who recently rejoined the APC, countered that El-Rufai’s presence had destabilized the party in Kaduna. He sees the former governor’s exit as a chance for renewal. “By the time he left, the APC had become an unpopular platform in the state. His departure now gives the governor and party leaders an opening to reconnect with the people, restructure, and reposition the party for the next election,” Sani argued.
In Sani’s view, far from being a loss, El-Rufai’s defection could pave the way for the APC to regain its footing and strengthen its hold in Kaduna ahead of 2027.
