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 disappointment with the APC’s leadership, accusing it of deviating from the progressive ideals upon which the party was founded. He revealed that, over the past two years, he had raised concerns both privately and publicly regarding the party’s direction but found no willingness among its current leadership to address these issues.

He stated, “Developments in the last two years show that those who now control and run the APC have refused to acknowledge, let alone address, the unhealthy state of affairs within the party.

“At this point in my political journey, I have concluded that I must seek another platform to pursue the progressive values I hold dear.

“My eight-year tenure in Kaduna State was dedicated to implementing policies aimed at advancing human development. However, these efforts now count for little within an APC that has undermined its internal structures and treated its members with disregard over the last two years. This is no longer acceptable to me.”

El-Rufai submitted his resignation letter to his ward in Kaduna North Local Government Area of the North-West state. He described the SDP as the platform for his future political engagements and urged his supporters and concerned Nigerians to join him, stressing the need for a unified democratic movement to challenge the APC in future elections.

His defection follows meetings with key political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former vice-presidential candidate Tunde Bakare, and former President Muhammadu Buhari.

El-Rufai’s departure from the APC also comes amid tensions with the presidency. Notably, he was absent from last month’s APC National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings.

A key northern political figure, El-Rufai was instrumental in advocating for the APC’s 2023 presidential ticket to be allocated to a southern candidate, in line with Nigeria’s unwritten power rotation principle between the North and South, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure.