El-Rufai Officially Joins ADC

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally pitched his political tent with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), drawing a definitive line under his split with the All Progressives Congress after months of quiet political recalibration.

His registration with the ADC was completed on Thursday at the party’s U/Sarki Ward office in Kaduna, where he signed new membership documents and received his party card. 

The brief ceremony signalled his return to organised opposition politics, a move many in Kaduna’s political circles had anticipated for weeks.

Officials at the ward office described the moment as significant for the party’s grassroots strength. 

One party executive said El-Rufai’s move “adds weight to a growing coalition of Nigerians who believe the political space needs fresh discipline and clearer direction”.

Moreover, El-Rufai’s shift follows his public resignation from the APC on March 10, 2025. 

At the time, he attributed his departure to what he saw as a widening gulf between his long-held principles and the party’s evolving leadership culture.

He had argued in his resignation letter that the ruling party had “strayed so far from its founding identity that internal reform was no longer possible”. 

The former governor added that efforts to draw attention to internal failings were routinely dismissed. 

“The people in charge showed no interest in confronting the decay I warned them about,” he said during a brief chat with journalists on Thursday.

Furthermore, El-Rufai recalled his role in the 2013 merger that produced the APC, describing that era as “a period driven by conviction, vision, and sacrifice”. 

He maintained that the party now operates in a manner that contradicts the ideals that inspired its formation.

According to him, his transition to the ADC is not just a political migration but an ideological repositioning. 

“This is about restoring clarity to my political journey,” he said. “Nigeria needs parties that stand for something consistent, not shifting alliances built only for election seasons.”

His entry into the ADC has already generated discussions about the party’s future strategy in Kaduna and beyond. 

His presence may reshape the opposition landscape ahead of upcoming electoral cycles, hinting at a potentially more competitive political field.

The development underscores the fluidity of Nigeria’s party system, where shifting alliances often reshape national debates and power structures.