A former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Finance under ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Bashir Sa’idu, has returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he is bringing thousands of supporters with him as political realignments gather pace ahead of the 2027 elections.

Sa’idu, who had moved with other El-Rufai loyalists into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), announced his return during a visit by Isa Lawal, Special Adviser to Governor Uba Sani on Domestic Affairs, to his residence.

Rather than presenting the move as an individual decision, Sa’idu described it as a mobilisation involving his wider political network across Kaduna State.

He claimed that about 10,000 supporters had moved with him from the ADC to the APC, with the network extending beyond his immediate political base to several local government areas.

Sa’idu further said his political structure would work for the APC across the 11 local government areas that make up the Zazzau Emirate, identifying Zaria as one of the areas where he intends to demonstrate the strength of his organisation.

He also made a larger electoral claim, saying his supporters would secure more votes for the APC in Zaria Local Government Area than former President Muhammadu Buhari recorded in previous elections.

In Lere Local Government Area, Sa’idu claimed that about 3,091 ADC card-carrying members had joined the APC, while other areas, according to him, contributed groups running into thousands.

The political network he referenced also extends to Igabi and Kaduna South, indicating that the significance of the defection goes beyond a single local government or constituency.

Sa’idu’s return is particularly notable because of his longstanding association with El-Rufai, whom he has known since their days at Barewa College in Zaria.

He subsequently occupied senior positions during El-Rufai’s eight-year administration, including Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Finance, before following the former governor and other associates into the ADC.

His return is therefore another indication of the movement within the political structure that once operated around the former Kaduna governor.

The development follows divisions within the El-Rufai-aligned camp after the ADC’s Kaduna governorship primary in May, which produced former House of Representatives member Isah Ashiru as the party’s candidate.

Ashiru reportedly secured 86,113 votes against 29,580 votes recorded by Jafaru Sani, who rejected the outcome and alleged irregularities.

The disagreement over the primary subsequently became one of the issues reshaping political relationships within the ADC’s Kaduna structure.

Jafaru Sani had earlier confirmed the return of a group of El-Rufai associates to the APC, claiming that the group represented more than 150,000 registered ADC members. Former Kaduna North Senator Abdu Kwari was also reported to be among those who returned.

Sa’idu’s latest declaration consequently adds another layer to the continuing political realignment ahead of 2027, particularly in areas where established political networks could become important to party mobilisation.

The former commissioner has now pledged his organisational machinery to Governor Uba Sani’s political camp, although the actual electoral strength of the numbers claimed by him will ultimately depend on whether the reported supporters translate their stated allegiance into votes at the polls.

The development comes against the backdrop of El-Rufai’s own September 23 statement reflecting on relationships that had become distant during what he described as his “current difficulties.” He said he held no resentment towards those who had moved away from him.

The latest movement therefore highlights a broader question for the Kaduna political landscape: how much of the former governor’s once influential political network will remain aligned with the ADC and how much will return to the APC as the 2027 contest approaches.

The development was reported by Legit.ng, which also cited earlier reports by Premium Times and Vanguard in its account of the political movements.