El-Rufai’s ex-chief of staff dumps ADC, vows to deliver Zaria, Lere, others to APC

Former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai’s staunch ally and ex-Chief of Staff, Bashir Sa’idu, has defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), promising to mobilise thousands of his supporters for Governor Uba Sani ahead of the 2027 elections.

Mr Sa’idu, who also served as Commissioner for Finance under Mr El-Rufai, made the pledge when the governor’s Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs, Isa Lawal, visited him at his residence.

He said his return to the APC was not an individual move, adding that he had brought along a large network of supporters who would demonstrate their political strength during the elections.

Mr Sa’idu specifically promised to deliver the 11 local government areas that make up the Zazzau Emirate to the APC.

“I will not boast about my capacity in other areas, but in the 11 local governments of Zazzau Emirate, we will show our strength, and no one has the kind of followers that we have,” he said.

He also said the APC would secure more votes in Zaria Local Government Area than the votes recorded for former President Muhammadu Buhari in previous elections.

‘We did not leave ADC alone’

Mr Sa’idu said his defection was intended to prove wrong those who believed he left the ADC alone.

He cited Lere Local Government Area, where he claimed about 3,091 ADC card-carrying members joined the APC. He further claimed that there were groups of about 4,000 supporters in some other local government areas.

The former Chief of Staff said he moved to the APC with about 10,000 supporters, describing them as people who had demonstrated political loyalty to his camp.

“We will prove that Allah has endowed us with supporters, and these people believe in us politically. We have been meeting and fashioning out modalities of how we will win elections,” he said.

He added that his political network extended beyond Zaria to Igabi and Kaduna South local government areas.

Mr Sa’idu, however, acknowledged that his mobilisation would not prevent the state government from conducting its own political planning.

He said his group could either work alongside the government’s political structure or operate independently and meet at the polls.

From El-Rufai’s inner circle to Uba Sani’s camp

Mr Sa’idu’s latest move is significant because of his long relationship with Mr El-Rufai. The two knew each other since their days at Barewa College, Zaria.

During Mr El-Rufai’s eight-year administration in Kaduna, Mr Sa’idu held senior positions, including Commissioner for Finance and, later, Chief of Staff.

Mr Sa’idu was also among the prominent figures who followed Mr El-Rufai from the APC to the ADC.

Earlier in September, Mr Sa’idu and other El-Rufai associates announced their return to the APC and support for Governor Uba Sani.

Former commissioner Jafaru Sani confirmed that the group had returned to the APC, adding that they were bringing with them more than 150,000 registered ADC members.

The group also included former Kaduna North senator Abdu Kwari and other grassroots politicians previously associated with Mr El-Rufai.

The development came amid a broader realignment of Kaduna politicians ahead of the 2027 elections.

ADC primary deepened divisions

The political rupture followed the ADC governorship primary in May, won by former House of Representatives member Isah Ashiru with 86,113 votes.

Jafaru Sani, a former Commissioner for Education under Mr El-Rufai, came second with 29,580 votes. He rejected the outcome, alleging irregularities in the process.

The disputed primary deepened tensions within the former governor’s political network, with reports at the time pointing to dissatisfaction among some of Mr El-Rufai’s loyalists with the outcome and the direction of the ADC.

Mr Ashiru has since positioned himself as the ADC’s principal challenger to Mr Uba Sani in the 2027 Kaduna governorship contest.

READ ALSO: Police summon El-Rufai, ADC chieftains over Kaduna post-bye-elections violence

El-Rufai speaks as former allies move away

Mr Sa’idu’s defection also came shortly before Mr El-Rufai publicly reflected on the changing relationships around him.

In a statement titled “My Relationships and the Aftermath,” dated 23 September, the former governor lamented that some former colleagues, friends and family members had remained silent or distanced themselves during his current difficulties.

He said his recent experiences had made him reconsider some relationships, but stressed that he bore no resentment and sought neither revenge nor retribution.

The timing has given fresh political significance to the return of former El-Rufai associates to the APC.

For Mr Sa’idu, however, the immediate challenge is now to translate his claimed grassroots network into votes.