Ex-Governor El-Rufai’s Son Hints At Peter Obi Joining SDP After Dad’s Defection From APC
Bashir dropped the hint while responding to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by a user, @Freedom42602077, who argued that the SDP would struggle to defeat the APC in the 2027 elections unless it aligns with Peter Obi.
Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has suggested that Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, might join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), following his father’s defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bashir dropped the hint while responding to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by a user, @Freedom42602077, who argued that the SDP would struggle to defeat the APC in the 2027 elections unless it aligns with Peter Obi.
“Bro to bro, if Peter Obi is not in that party, they can’t win presidential. APC will have it again!” the user wrote.
Reacting, Bashir El-Rufai simply replied: “He is coming.”
He is coming
— Bashir El-Rufai (@BashirElRufai) March 10, 2025
The cryptic response has since fuelled speculations about ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with many questioning whether Obi is indeed considering a move to the SDP.
Bashir’s remark comes in the wake of his father, Nasir El-Rufai’s high-profile exit from the APC.
The former Kaduna governor, who played a key role in the party’s formation and electoral victories in 2015, 2019, and 2023, recently submitted his resignation letter to his ward leadership in Kaduna State.
El-Rufai, who has been increasingly critical of the APC-led government under President Bola Tinubu, cited a widening disconnect between his personal values and the party’s current direction as the reason for his defection.
In a statement dated Monday, March 10, 2025, he lambasted the APC leadership, accusing them of abandoning the party’s founding progressive ideals.
“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,” El-Rufai said.
He noted that he had consistently raised concerns about the party’s trajectory, both privately and publicly, but he was ignored.
“My eight-year tenure in Kaduna State was devoted to implementing progressive policies to advance human development. These records count for little in the current APC that has castrated its organs and treated its membership with contempt in the last two years. I find this no longer acceptable,” he added.
El-Rufai’s exit from the APC was reportedly part of a broader defection wave, with sources indicating that several other prominent figures within the party are considering a move to the SDP.
Among those rumoured to be in talks are; former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, Ekiti State former Governor, Kayode Fayemi, former APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, and several other ministers from the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
