Senator Shehu Sani has dismissed the significance of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s recent departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Sani, who is also from Kaduna, stated that El-Rufai’s exit will not affect the ruling party’s chances in the upcoming 2027 elections.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC, announced his move to the SDP on Monday. Many political analysts believe this shift could alter the political landscape in Nigeria. However, Sani believes that El-Rufai’s influence has waned, describing him as a liability to the APC.
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In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Sani said, “For those of us from Kaduna State, his defection is a good riddance because he stands as a liability to the party in the state.” He pointed to the APC’s poor performance during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, highlighting significant losses in elections.
Sani backed his claims with statistics, noting that in 2015, the APC had two senators from Kaduna, but by 2023, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had taken over all the senatorial seats. He added that out of 14 House of Representatives seats in the state, nearly nine were won by the PDP, two by the Labour Party, and only three by the APC when El-Rufai left office. He also mentioned that the APC lost the presidential election in Kaduna State under El-Rufai’s leadership.
Shehu Sani concluded that El-Rufai’s departure from the APC is unlikely to impact the party’s future.
