Former Kaduna senator Shehu Sani has reacted to Nasir El-Rufai’s exit from the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as “good riddance.” According to Sani, El-Rufai’s tenure weakened the party in Kaduna, leading to electoral losses. He believes his departure provides an opportunity for APC to rebuild.
Former senator and activist Shehu Sani has weighed in on Nasir El-Rufai’s recent decision to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing his exit as inconsequential. Speaking in an interview, Sani claimed that El-Rufai had been a liability to the party, arguing that his leadership in Kaduna led to significant electoral setbacks for APC.
El-Rufai, who served as Kaduna’s governor from 2015 to 2023, announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing irreconcilable differences with APC’s values. He also pledged to work with opposition parties against APC in future elections.
Sani, however, dismissed any notion that El-Rufai’s defection would weaken APC, insisting that the former governor’s leadership had already cost the party dearly. He pointed out that under El-Rufai’s tenure, APC lost multiple legislative seats in Kaduna and performed poorly in the 2023 presidential election.
The former senator, who recently returned to APC, described El-Rufai’s exit as an opportunity for the party to reconnect with the people and rebuild ahead of the 2027 elections. He also recalled how El-Rufai once sidelined many APC members in the state, only to now find himself politically isolated.
As El-Rufai transitions to his new political home, political analysts believe his departure could reshape the power dynamics in Kaduna and beyond, setting the stage for new political alliances.
