The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had been seen meeting with political party chieftains, including Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, March 9, fueling speculation about his next move.
In a statement announcing his decision, el-Rufai said the APC left him with no choice but to seek another platform.
“As a founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have fond memories of working with other compatriots to negotiate the merger of political parties that created the APC. It had been my hope since 2013 that my personal values and that of the APC will continue to align up to the time I choose to retire from politics,” the statement reads.
“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.
“On my part, I have raised concerns in private and, more recently, in public regarding the capricious trajectory of the party. Therefore, 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.
“Founders rightly feel attached towards institutions they helped create, but one must be pragmatic enough to admit when a divergence appears unbridgeable. I have diligently served the APC and made my contributions to its viability as a political platform, but I recognize that the party has since strayed and left me stuck in the vision of its well-meaning founding fathers and mothers.”
El-Rufai called on his supporters “and other persons concerned about our country’s future” to join him in the SDP.
“Today, 10th March 2025, I have submitted a letter resigning my membership of the APC to my ward in Kaduna, effective immediately,” he added.
“Prior to this step, I had concluded consultations with my mentors, colleagues and loyalists across the country about the future. I have now decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and adopt it as the platform for our future political engagements and activities.”
In January, el-Rufai met with Hamza Al-Mustapha, former aide to the late Sani Abacha; Shehu Gabam, national chairman of the SDP; and other politicians in Abuja. Segun Sowunmi, a former spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar campaign organization, said the meeting was to strategize ahead of the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai had earlier signaled his growing discontent with the APC, stating in February that the gap between him and the party had “widened.” He also criticized its leadership for running the party like a “one-man show” and failing to hold regular meetings.
Since the Senate declined to confirm him as a minister, el-Rufai has been openly critical of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In February, he dismissed claims that the National Assembly rejected him as a ministerial nominee, instead accusing Tinubu of changing his mind.
“The president publicly appealed to me to put my plans on hold, and through two months of negotiation, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as minister,” he said.
“Please don’t believe the story that the national assembly rejected me. The president did not want me in his cabinet. He changed his mind.” El-Rufai served as governor of Kaduna from 2015 to 2023.
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