2027 Elections: El-Rufai Ally Dumps Atiku, ADC for APC Ahead of 2027

Bashir Sa’idu returns to APC, promising a powerful Kaduna comeback ahead of 2027 Bashir Sa’idu returns to APC, promising a powerful Kaduna comeback ahead of 2027

Bashir Sa’idu, a former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Finance under ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC), pledging to mobilise his political base in support of Governor Uba Sani ahead of the 2027 elections.

Sa’idu made the announcement when Governor Uba Sani’s Special Adviser on Domestic Affairs, Isa Lawal, visited him at his home. He was clear that the move was not a personal one, saying he had brought a substantial network of supporters along with him.

Sa’idu’s promises to the APC

The former official specifically pledged to deliver all 11 local government areas that make up the Zazzau Emirate to the APC. He also claimed his camp would win more votes in Zaria Local Government Area than former President Muhammadu Buhari secured in previous elections.

“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,” Sa’idu said.

He said he crossed over to the APC with roughly 10,000 supporters, pointing to Lere Local Government Area as an example, where he claimed about 3,091 ADC card-carrying members switched parties. He added that some other local government areas contributed groups of around 4,000 supporters each, Premium Times reported.

His network, he said, also covers Igabi and Kaduna South local government areas.

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

Sa’idu’s move carries political weight given his long-standing ties to El-Rufai, stretching back to their shared years at Barewa College in Zaria.

He held senior positions throughout El-Rufai’s eight-year administration in Kaduna and was among the loyalists who followed the former governor out of the APC and into the ADC.

In September, Sa’idu and a group of El-Rufai associates publicly announced their return to the APC. Former commissioner Jafaru Sani confirmed the move at the time, saying the group brought with them more than 150,000 registered ADC members. Former Kaduna North senator Abdu Kwari was also among those who returned, Vanguard reported.

The split within El-Rufai’s political camp traces back to the ADC governorship primary held in May, which former House of Representatives member Isah Ashiru won with 86,113 votes.

Jafaru Sani, who came second with 29,580 votes, rejected the result and alleged irregularities. Ashiru has since positioned himself as the ADC’s main challenger to Uba Sani in the 2027 Kaduna governorship race.

The defections came shortly before El-Rufai himself published a statement on September 23 reflecting on relationships that had grown distant during what he described as his “current difficulties.”

He said he bore no resentment, but the timing added political significance to the return of his former allies to the APC.