APC Slams El-Rufai’s Defection: ‘It’s About Getting Political Revenge, Not Principles

In a statement signed by Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada and Yahaya Baba Pate, the APC’s Chairman and Secretary in the state, the party asserted that since El-Rufai’s defection, the SDP has been making baseless allegations and stirring controversy.

The statement read in part: “For several days now, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a minor party in Kaduna State, has been making grandiose claims about its electoral strength while attempting to link Hon. Ja’afaru Sani’s legal issues to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

“Since El-Rufai’s arrival in the SDP, the party has been clutching at straws, making wild allegations and crying foul in an effort to gain public sympathy and undeserved support for a party that has had little impact in Kaduna State for years.”

“Normally, we would ignore their antics, but we must address the potential misguidance of the public. They’ve claimed that APC is worried about the defections of Nasir El-Rufai and Ja’afaru Sani to the SDP. They further alleged that the APC has plans to suppress opposition figures to instill fear. This is completely false.”

“It is well known that top figures from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) have recently joined the APC in large numbers. We’ve had defections from both the National Assembly and Kaduna State House of Assembly. The movement to our party has been overwhelming, so why should we be concerned about individuals who are desperately seeking political relevance?”

“El-Rufai’s defection to the SDP has been a non-event. Driven by an inflated sense of self-importance, he has faded into political irrelevance. No one of significance has followed him, apart from a few loyalists. This is because people know that El-Rufai’s reason for leaving APC is personal gain. He is driven by a desire to extract political revenge from those he blames for his fall from grace. He consulted no one but himself.”

“El-Rufai’s quest for revenge against his perceived political enemies in Kaduna State is based on imaginary conflicts. We want to make it clear that no one is targeting him in Kaduna. He is the architect of his own political downfall.”