Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has directed his supporters to vote for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 general elections, a chieftain of the party, Hajiya Hafsat Baba, has disclosed.
Baba, the ADC National Vice Chairman (North-West), said the former governor also urged his loyalists to remain united, peaceful and law-abiding while working towards securing victory for the party in Kaduna State.
She made this known during a meeting of support groups loyal to El-Rufai in Kaduna, explaining that the gathering was organised to bring the groups together and coordinate their political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to her, El-Rufai specifically instructed his supporters to maintain unity, stressing that their collective efforts would be crucial to achieving their political objectives.
“Mallam also said I should tell you to remain united because it is only when we are united that we can achieve our goals during the election,” she said.
Baba said the former governor had directed his supporters to mobilise votes for the ADC across all levels of government, including the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
“We want to tell our people that this is the message from Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as verified by him: he wants us to vote for ADC at the federal level, state level, local government level, wards, and everywhere across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State,” she said.
She added, “We want Kaduna to be ADC. This is our responsibility, this is what we want to do, and this is what he wants us to do, and we are ready to do it.”
The ADC chieftain disclosed that the coalition planned to create a database of El-Rufai’s supporters across Kaduna State and organise periodic meetings to improve coordination among the various groups.
She said the supporters were also determined to preserve the former governor’s achievements, particularly in education, healthcare and empowerment.
“He has already laid the foundation, and it is left for us to continue with his legacy,” she said.
Baba, however, raised concerns about insecurity in parts of Kaduna State, particularly Birnin Gwari, Giwa and Millennium City, calling on security agencies to strengthen efforts to safeguard residents.
“We cannot afford to have people being kidnapped while they are carrying out their lawful duties,” she said.
She further alleged that over 30 supporters of the former governor had been arrested about two weeks before the meeting, expressing concern over what she described as repeated arrests of El-Rufai’s loyalists.
Baba urged security agencies to remain neutral and carry out their responsibilities in line with the provisions of the Constitution.
“They are government officials; they should not take sides, and they have to do their work according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” she said.
She also encouraged the supporters not to give up, urging them to remain peaceful and law-abiding while expressing optimism that El-Rufai would soon reunite with them.
Also speaking, another ally of the former governor, Ibrahim Hussaini, dismissed suggestions that El-Rufai had lost his political influence, insisting that he still enjoyed considerable support across Kaduna State and the northern region.
Hussaini described the former governor’s present circumstances as a test from God, expressing confidence that the situation could eventually strengthen his political standing.
He urged the supporters to remain committed to the ADC ahead of the 2027 elections, noting that recent developments had exposed individuals whose loyalty to El-Rufai was not genuine, as some had already abandoned his camp.
