Setback for El-Rufai’s SDP–ADC merger, as women leader quits coalition party

MaTaZ ArIsInG
Dallas, Texas

The Coalition of All Democratic Congress (ADC) received a setback with the resignation of the Women Leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kaduna State, Hajiya Zainab Sani , on Thursday, a development describe as a major setback to the planned SDP–ADC merger reportedly being spearheaded by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

Zainab, a formidable grassroots mobilizer from Giwa Local Government Area, and political ally of former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has for years stood out as one of the most influential female political figures in Kaduna.

The former stalwart who was also Women leader in All Progressives Congress (APC) during El-Rufai administration, played a central role in women mobilization during several of the party’s election victories before defecting to the SDP, where she became one of former Governor’s trusted political allies.

Announcing her resignation, Zainab said she could no longer remain in a party that “has lost touch with the people and is driven more by elite political interests than by the realities of the masses.”

“The SDP has failed to demonstrate a people-first agenda,” she declared.

Zainab further stressed, “our people are still grappling with poverty, insecurity, and hunger. Many in Kaduna have not forgotten the anti-people policies of the last administration, and I will not be part of any arrangement that seeks to repackage that legacy under a different banner.”

Meanwhile, her remarks, Political observers said, “were a clear swipe at El-Rufai’s administration, whose policies, including mass demolitions, mass sackings, and strained relations with labour and community groups, remain deeply controversial.”

Zainab’s exit comes at a time Governor Uba Sani is consolidating his image as a people-oriented leader through pro-poor policies, empowerment programmes, and rural development initiatives that have earned him wide grassroots support.

Analysts believe her resignation could reshape the emerging political alliances in Kaduna, particularly as the SDP struggles to maintain relevance amid talks of a merger with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to form a third force ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Zainab’s departure is not just symbolic, it’s strategic She commands enormous influence among women and youths across rural Kaduna. Losing her now is a major blow to the El-Rufai camp and raises questions about the credibility of the proposed SDP–ADC coalition” a political commentator, Alhaji Habib Shittu noted.

While Zainab has yet to announce her next political move, insider sources told some Journalists that, she has concluded arrangements to return to the APC with over 5,000 women leaders drawn from the northern and central parts of the state.

Her defection, if confirmed, would significantly boost Governor Uba Sani’s governance drive and reinforce his growing hold on grassroots politics across Kaduna, Shittu Shittu said.

Many observers stressed that her decision reflects a broader shift in Kaduna’s political alignment, from elite-driven scheming to issue-based and people-centred engagement.

They also saw it as signals of waning enthusiasm for El-Rufai’s new political experiment, even among his long-time loyalists.

Shittu added, “Zainab Sani’s resignation may be the first crack in El-Rufai’s merger wall, and perhaps the clearest sign yet that Kaduna’s grassroots politics is gravitating toward empathy, inclusion, and real impact.”

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