Former political associates and grassroots allies of ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have officially rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC), denying claims that they betrayed the former governor.
The group, operating under the name Kaduna De-Initiative, announced their decision in a statement released in Kaduna on Thursday, explaining that their move follows a reconciliation led by current Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
The group, led by former Deputy Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Mukhtar Isa Hazo, stated that El-Rufai was actually the one who abandoned their mutual political agreement. They explained that the issue began during El-Rufai’s second term after 2019, when key allies felt excluded while family interests gained influence in government affairs.
According to the group, the breaking point came over the 2027 political alignment within the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The associates expected El-Rufai to back former commissioner Ja’afaru Sani for the governorship ticket. Instead, El-Rufai supported long-time political rival Isa Ashiru, who eventually won the ADC primary election.
Prominent figures involved in the realignment include former Chief of Staff Bashir Saidu, ex-commissioners Ja’afaru Sani, Shehu Usman Makarfi, and Abdu Kwari, alongside former SDP state chairman Nasiru Abdullahi Maikano.
The group pushed back against the descriptions of its members as disgruntled politicians, stressing that they represent established networks across all 23 local government areas in Kaduna State.
“Political loyalty cannot be treated as a permanent debt…El-Rufai had the right to make his political choices, and we also have the right to make ours. We are not interested in turning our disagreement with El-Rufai into a personal war, but we will not apologise for exercising our political independence”, the group.
They added that their return to the ruling APC is aimed at taking responsibility for their political future and supporting their grassroots followers, rather than being driven by anger or revenge.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai remains in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), where he has been held since February 2026 in connection with an ongoing investigation.
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