Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed rumors that he is planning to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday night, El-Rufai made it clear that despite his meetings with politicians from other parties, he has no intention of defecting.
El-Rufai noted that his interactions with members of opposition parties have been misinterpreted. He explained that his meetings with political figures outside the APC were based on personal and professional relationships, not political realignment.
“It should be clear that the fact that I’m in the APC doesn’t mean that I cannot visit a friend of mine who is in the PDP or SDP. So anytime I visit anyone that is not in APC, they say, ‘Oh, he’s thinking of leaving the party,’” he said.
The former governor also addressed false claims that he had joined the PDP, recalling how a social media user in Kaduna falsely claimed he had registered as a PDP member in his ward. He described such claims as completely untrue.
He further dismissed speculations linking him to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after a visit to its headquarters. He said, “When I visited my brother and friend Shehu Gabam at the SDP headquarters, they said, ‘Oh, he has joined the SDP.’ Again, not true.”
While reaffirming his loyalty to the APC, El-Rufai admitted that his future in the party depends on whether it returns to its original principles.
“I don’t know where I will end up if the APC doesn’t come back to where we started. But one thing I can tell you for sure is that PDP is not a party that I will go to, ever. I have thought about that. I’ve decided that long ago, and nothing has changed. In fact, if anything, PDP has gotten worse; rule out PDP,” he stated.
El-Rufai left the possibility open for joining another party if the APC fails to resolve its internal issues, but he firmly ruled out PDP as an option.
“But PDP, no. Other parties, possibly, if the APC doesn’t sort itself out,” he added.
Regarding his recent meeting with PDP leaders in Kaduna, El-Rufai clarified that it was not politically driven. He described himself as a public figure and a leader in the state, making it necessary for him to engage with various political groups.
“I met with PDP leadership in Kaduna a couple of days ago. The state leadership of the party came to see me, and I will meet with them. You know, I’m a public figure in my state, and at my age, and based on the responsibilities I have held, I am a leader of some sort,” he explained.
El-Rufai also noted that his willingness to meet with political figures from different parties should not be seen as a sign of defection. He said it is part of his role to engage with and mentor younger politicians across party lines.
“If people say they want to see me, I’m not going to say, ‘You are PDP, I won’t see you,’ or ‘You are SDP, I will only meet with APC people.’ It is my duty to meet with everyone. It is my duty to guide and mentor young people across partisan divides. So, I meet with people but the moment I meet with everyone, everything is reduced to politics,” he said.
