Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has thrown his support behind the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as the best platform for an emerging opposition coalition aiming to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time, and Monitored By The News Chronicle El-Rufai called the APC’s leadership a “national tragedy,” claiming it has a 91% disapproval rating the worst in Nigeria’s history.
He also accused the current administration of violating the constitution in how it handles public finances and failing to address rising insecurity.
El-Rufai, who officially joined the SDP in March 2025 after leaving the APC, praised the SDP’s history, legacy, and branding. “I believe the SDP is the best choice for the coalition.
It has a strong history, sentimental value, and a great name and logo,” he said. He promised to advocate for the party among coalition leaders.
However, El-Rufai explained that the coalition, currently led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, hasn’t made a final decision.
They are still considering whether to adopt an existing party like the SDP or register a new one, possibly called the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
“You don’t go into battle with only one plan,” he said, acknowledging concerns that existing parties may have been compromised by the Tinubu administration.
He also expressed doubts that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under its current leadership, would approve new party registrations. “We don’t believe INEC under Professor Mahmood Yakubu will register any new party. Yakubu is no Jega, and Tinubu is no Jonathan,” he said, referring to how the APC itself was registered in 2013.
El-Rufai gave a harsh assessment of the APC a party he helped form saying Nigerians are frustrated with its leadership and are searching for a credible alternative. “People are tired. They want unity and a fresh option to replace a failing government,” he said.
He also accused the Tinubu administration of illegally withdrawing N100 billion monthly from the Federation Account over the past 15 months a total of N1.5 trillion without the approval of the National Assembly. He called this an “impeachable offense.”
He criticized the government’s failure to improve security, citing Nigerian Bureau of Statistics data showing 2.2 million abductions and 615,000 killings in 2024 alone. “Is Nigeria at war? These numbers are worse than during Buhari’s time,” he said, slamming the government’s suggestion that communities defend themselves.
El-Rufai predicted that President Bola Tinubu would not win a second term in 2027, saying, “Tinubu can’t win he’ll be lucky to come third.” He dismissed recent defections to the APC, calling those defecting “greedy, hungry politicians” looking for contracts or running from anti-corruption investigations.
He emphasized that unlike the APC, which was created through mergers of several parties, this new coalition consists of individuals who are ready to put aside their ambitions to remove the APC. He described the ruling party as a “collection of urban bandits.”
El-Rufai denied any personal political ambitions, saying, “I don’t want to run for office. But since I helped bring this disaster upon Nigeria by supporting Tinubu, I feel responsible to help fix it.”
The coalition includes political figures such as Atiku Abubakar and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, with ongoing discussions about uniting under a single platform. El-Rufai stressed that the coalition aims to avoid the problem of “godfather politics” that he believes ruined both the PDP and the APC. “Nigerians deserve a party built on fairness, internal democracy, and equal opportunity,” he said.
Still, not everyone in the SDP agrees with El-Rufai’s plans. In May 2025, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, distanced the SDP from El-Rufai’s coalition, saying he wasn’t authorized to speak for the party.
Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada also announced he would be leaving the SDP in June 2025, citing differences with El-Rufai’s political style.
Critics like Hakeem Baba-Ahmed from the Northern Elders Forum have raised concerns about whether the coalition can truly offer something different, warning that it could end up being just another version of the APC.
