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• Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
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• El-Rufai’s decision was reportedly driven by irreconcilable differences with the APC leadership, which he claims has strayed from its progressive principles
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• The Presidency and the APC have dismissed El-Rufai’s move, describing it as an “inordinate ambition” that is destined to fail.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has officially defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). El-Rufai announced his decision in a statement, citing irreconcilable differences with the APC leadership.
According to El-Rufai, the APC has strayed from its progressive principles, prompting him to seek an alternative platform.
“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,” he said.
The Presidency has dismissed El-Rufai’s move, describing it as an “inordinate ambition” that is destined to fail.
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, stated that El-Rufai’s decision was driven by personal interests rather than a genuine desire for change.
“Associating with sore losers to unseat the incumbent is not an ideology, neither is it progressivism; It is simply an inordinate ambition that is destined to fail,” Bwala said.
The APC has also reacted to El-Rufai’s defection, with the Kaduna APC Secretary, Yahaya Baba-Pate, expressing confidence that the party would emerge stronger despite El-Rufai’s exit.
“We are unperturbed by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s defection to another party. Our main focus in Kaduna is on how to deliver the state to both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani in 2027,” Baba-Pate said.
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The SDP has welcomed El-Rufai to its fold, with the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Adewole Adebayo, describing El-Rufai as a valuable asset to the party.
“With the hardworking and sagacious Mallam joining our ranks, an avid worker for the people has been enlisted in our forces against poverty and insecurity,” Adebayo said.
Presidency Reaffirms Tinubu’s Commitment To Reducing Inflation To 15% By 2025
The presidency has reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s pledge to reduce Nigeria’s inflation to 15% by December 2025.
This commitment was first made during the presentation of the ₦47.9 trillion 2025 budget to the National Assembly, where the president projected a decline in inflation from the current 34.6% to 15%.
