Allies of former governor El-Rufai switch to APC — Premium Times Nigeria

In Nigeria, former allies of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and returned to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections. They include former Chief of Staff to the Governor Bashir Saidu and Jafaru Sani, who previously served as Commissioner for Education in the El-Rufai administration, Premium Times reports.

Dispute over ADC primaries

In an interview with Radio France Internationale, Bashir Saidu accused El-Rufai of political betrayal. According to him, he and former Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi helped El-Rufai win the 2015 gubernatorial election and secure re-election in 2019.

The conflict escalated after the ADC primaries to select its candidate for governor of Kaduna State. Isa Ashiru received 86,113 votes, while Jafaru Sani received 29,580 votes and came second. Sani did not recognize the results, alleging irregularities during the voting. Saidu and his allies believed that El-Rufai backed Ashiru and also claimed that the party's decision was influenced by the former governor's family and a narrow circle of his associates. A member of El-Rufai's family approached by the publication declined to comment on the allegations.

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Switch to Uba Sani's camp

On October 17 in the city of Zaria, Saidu, Sani, former Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari and other politicians officially joined the APC and endorsed the incumbent state governor, Uba Sani. Saidu said that the Kaduna De-Initiatives political group he leads had participated in building the ADC's structure in the state, but decided to leave the party due to disagreements with its leadership and candidate nomination procedure.

During the ceremony, Suleiman Hunkuyi urged Uba Sani not to release El-Rufai from custody until the 2027 gubernatorial election is over. According to the publication, El-Rufai is in custody amid investigations and court proceedings concerning allegations related to his time in office. He led Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023, after which he handed over power to Uba Sani.