The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed that he left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with the full knowledge of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC, officially defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday, citing unfavorable conditions within the party.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa service on Wednesday, the former governor stated that he had informed Buhari about his decision to leave the APC and join the SDP.
“I left the APC with his full knowledge. I visited him on a Friday and informed him of my decision to leave the party because I always involve and consult him on all my matters,” El-Rufai said.
When asked if he had a political godfather, Nasir El-Rufai responded, “I have people I consult in everything I do. I inform them of my intentions, and if they advise me to step back, I comply. My first godfather is Muhammadu Buhari. As for the others, I won’t mention their names to avoid putting them under pressure.”
Further speaking, the former governor stated that while he had no regrets supporting President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, he was surprised by some of Tinubu’s actions.
“I don’t regret it, but I have been taken by surprise. The reason I don’t regret supporting him is that some Yoruba leaders from the South West visited Kaduna and informed me that Muslims in their region were being politically marginalized. That was my primary motivation for supporting Tinubu,” El-Rufai said.
“The second reason is that we agreed to zone the 2023 presidential seat to the southern part of Nigeria in the interest of fairness, balance, and justice,” El-Rufai explained.
He stated that he left the APC because the party had strayed from its founding principles.
“The APC has abandoned the ideals that led to its formation. It has neglected the people, and everyone is now focused on personal interests and wealth. The government has turned into a business enterprise where everything has a price,” he said.
“There is no justice. Those who worked for the party are neither recognized nor rewarded. Appointments are now controlled by a select group from Lagos. The party is dead,” El-Rufai stated.
“That is why I consulted Tunde Bakare, Buhari, Abdullahi Adamu, Adams Oshiomhole, and Bisi Akande before making my decision,” he added.
