Following the defection of the former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-rufai to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, a Professor of Political Science at the Nasarawa State University, Prof. Jideofor Adibe, has stated that invigorating a political party that has its root in the South West could further weaken president Bola Tinubu’s political base.
In an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday March 12, monitored by The News Chronicles, the renowned scholar who emphasized that the exit of Nasir El-rufai from the ruling APC may pose a major challenge for the party considering the political endearment the full-throated politician enjoys in some northern quarters, added that the entry of the former governor into the Social Democratic Party may further energize the party and further alter the political calculation ahead of the 2027 general election.
Adibe explained further; “Since he lost out in the Ministerial nomination exercise, he has been in political wilderness so to say. I saw it as a cue for the APC to reach out to him and negotiate and probably they didn’t do that and so.
In the Nigerian context, he had only one option if he wants to be continue to be political relevant and that is to leave the political party and look for an alternative route of political path to political relevance and that is what he has done”.
“There are a couple of scenarios, if for example another political party emerges and that party is seen as a representative of all other parts of the country then and SDP becomes strengthened as a result of the entry of El-Rufai and the conservative elements or the right wing elements from the north, then Tinubu’s political base would be further weakened. Tinubu’s political base that is weakened in the South West and obviously having problems in the North, may result in him facing some serious challenges.”
The University don also stressed that the political permutation may not be for the SDP to clinch power but to weaken Tinubu’s political base and allow for another party to secure victory at the next presidential poll.
On his part, the former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP in the 2023 presidential election, Adewole Adebayo however maintained that the aim of the party is to win even though it may look improbable to some people.
While stating that the entry of former governor Nasir El-rufai into its fold would better reposition the party, the former presidential candidate lamented that the prevailing hardship being faced by Nigerians is occasioned by the inability of the Tinubu-led administration to deliver on its mandate.
Adebayo, who hinted at joining the next presidential race, added that the SDP would avail Nigerians the chance to defeat the ruling APC.
Recall that former Kaduna State Governor and founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, had earlier announced his resignation from the ruling party and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, cited a growing misalignment between his personal values and the current direction of the APC as the primary reason for his decision.
In a statement released on Monday, 10th March El-Rufai expressed his disappointment with the APC’s leadership, accusing the party of straying from the progressive ideals of its founding members.
He revealed that he had raised concerns about the party’s trajectory both privately and publicly over the past two years but found no willingness among the current leadership to address the issues.
“Developments in the last two years confirm that there is no desire on the part of those who currently control and run the APC to acknowledge, much less address, the unhealthy situation of the party,” El-Rufai stated.
“At this point in my political journey, I have come to the conclusion that I must seek another political platform for the pursuit of the progressive values I cherish.”
El-Rufai, who played a key role in the formation of the APC in 2013, recalled his efforts in negotiating the merger of political parties that led to the creation of the ruling party. He also highlighted his contributions to the APC’s electoral successes in 2015, 2019, and 2023, as well as his tenure as Kaduna State governor, during which he implemented policies focused on education, healthcare, infrastructure, job creation, and investment.
“My eight-year tenure in Kaduna State was devoted to implementing progressive policies to advance human development,” he said. “These records count for little in the current APC that has castrated its organs and treated its membership with contempt in the last two years. I find this no longer acceptable.”
