Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday formally registered as a member of the African Democratic Congress, signalling what he described as the beginning of a coordinated political effort to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State ahead of the 2027 general elections. El-Rufai completed his registration at the ADC office in Unguwar Sarki, Kaduna North, where he was received by senior party officials, including the ADC Vice Chairman (North-West), Jafaru Sani, and the National Membership Secretary, Senator Sadiq Yar’adua. Speaking immediately after obtaining his card, the former governor declared, “I am now a bona fide member of the African Democratic Congress. This is my political home, and this is the platform on which we will rescue Kaduna State from incompetent leadership.”
Party officials disclosed that El-Rufai was issued membership number 000002, with 000001 assigned to the coalition’s Vice National Chairman (North-West), who was the first to register under the new arrangement in Kaduna State The sequence, they noted, was symbolic of the coalition’s consolidation within the ADC. El-Rufai, who briefly joined the Social Democratic Party in March 2025 after dumping the ruling All Progressives Congress, said the move had been part of early efforts to create a broad opposition coalition. He accused the SDP of allowing “government-backed interference,” which, according to him, undermined negotiations. “The SDP refused to open up to the coalition leadership because the government has bribed and compromised some of the leaders,” he said. “Once it became clear that the SDP avenue was blocked, we had to chart a new course.”
He explained that after a series of discussions, the coalition leadership reached an agreement with the ADC on July 2 to adopt the party as its new platform ahead of 2027. “Happily, the ADC agreed to the terms and conditions of the coalition leadership,” he said. “We had a few pending local elections and by-elections that delayed our formal entry, but those have now been concluded.” El-Rufai praised party coordinators for organising his registration within a tight timeframe. “I was informed at 6pm yesterday to be here at 4 o’clock today,” he said. “And I managed to get here. I appreciate the effort that went into putting this together.” Senator Yar’adua personally supervised the registration as part of what party sources described as an ongoing drive to integrate coalition figures into the ADC and harmonise structures across the North-West. The former governor also used the platform to mobilise supporters ahead of the 2027 polls, insisting that Kaduna residents must be ready to “correct the mistake” of electing the current APC administration.
“I want to call on all citizens of Kaduna State of 18 years and above to come out en masse and register with the ADC,” he said. “By the grace of God, we will repeat what we did in 2015, when we got rid of the incompetent and corrupt PDP administration.” He accused the current APC-led government of mismanaging public trust and failing to fulfil campaign promises. “We contributed to bringing them into office,” El-Rufai said. “We therefore have a duty to contribute to sending them back home before they go to prison.” The former governor alleged that the state government was operating with “impunity and arrogance,” adding that the ADC-led coalition was preparing to present what he called “a credible alternative that can restore the glory of Kaduna State.”
