Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has officially joined the African Democratic Congress, ADC, months after dumping the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The former governor registered with the ADC and received his membership card at the party’s office in Unguwar Sarki Ward, Kaduna State.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory was accompanied by devoted supporters, including former appointees and local government chairpersons.
El-Rufai promised to use the ADC platform to tackle what he called inept leadership in the state.
He said this while speaking to his supporters and party officials, including Hon. Jafaru Sani, ADC Vice Chairman (North West), and Senator Sadiq Yar’adua, National Membership Secretary.
“I’m a bona fide member of the African Democratic Congress.
“The SDP would not agree to open up to the coalition leadership because the government has bribed and compromised some of the leaders.
“Happily, the ADC agreed to the terms and conditions of the coalition leadership,” El-Rufai said.
He added that all pending by-elections and municipal competitions, which had delayed his full commitment, had now been resolved.
El-Rufai thanked the organizers for arranging the event on such short notice, stating, “I was told at 6 p.m. yesterday to arrive at 4 p.m. And I made it here.”
Concerning the political stakes, El-Rufai promised to confront APC leadership in Kaduna State, noting prior triumphs and the need for accountability.
“I want to call on all citizens of Kaduna State of 18 years and above to come out en masse and register with the African Democratic Congress.
“By the grace of God, we are going to repeat what we did in 2015, when we got rid of the incompetent, thieving, stealing, and corrupt PDP administration,” he said.
El-Rufai also accused the present APC-led government in Kaduna of failing to keep its commitments and operating with impunity.
“We contributed to bringing them into office. We therefore have a duty to contribute to sending them back home before they go to prison,” El-Rufai declared.
The registration had symbolic significance: El-Rufai earned membership number 000002, following the coalition Vice National Chairman of the Northwest, who was allocated 000001 as the state’s first registrant.
Recall that on March 10, El-Rufai highlighted a growing gap between his personal values and the APC’s current orientation as the key reason for his defection.
El-Rufai openly lambasted the APC’s leadership in his resignation letter, accusing the party of losing its progressive values.
“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,” he had stated.
He claimed that he had regularly expressed worries about the party’s direction, both individually and publicly, during the previous two years, but the APC leadership ignored his warnings.
El-Rufai, who played a key role in the 2013 opposition party merger that resulted in the formation of the APC, expressed concern that the party had lost sight of its initial objective.
