According to a report by Punch Newspaper on Friday, November 28, 2025, Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State Governor, on Thursday completed his registration as a member of the African Democratic Congress, marking the beginning of a coordinated political move aimed at challenging the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
His decision formalised weeks of consultations and signalled a new phase in opposition realignment within the state, forming the basis of his introduction into the party’s emerging political strategy.
Nasir El-Rufai used the registration to outline concerns about the direction of political engagement in Kaduna, stressing that the shift became necessary after earlier efforts to build a wider coalition did not progress as planned.
He said that certain political developments created conditions he considered unfavourable for transparent negotiations within the groups he had previously engaged.
Nasir El-Rufai said the situation within the Social Democratic Party made it difficult for the coalition to carry out internal discussions without external influence.
He maintained that the environment around the negotiations became compromised and created a barrier to forming the broad platform he initially envisioned for the 2027 contest.
Nasir El-Rufai said the situation within the Social Democratic Party made it difficult for the coalition to carry out internal discussions without external influence.
He noted that the political space required full cooperation from all parties involved, and once cooperation became uncertain, the coalition leadership reassessed its options.
He said: “The SDP refused to open up to the coalition leadership because the government has bribed and compromised some of the leaders. “Once it became clear that the SDP avenue was blocked, we had to chart a new course.”
