The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, from the party and barred him from associating with it in any form for the next 30 years.
The party accused el-Rufai of falsely claiming membership, forging documents, and attempting to destabilise the SDP through backdoor political dealings and alliances, particularly with the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, the party said investigations revealed that el-Rufai never registered at the ward level and manipulated internal processes to sow division.
“El-Rufai falsely declared on social media that he had joined the party. He further forged documents claiming membership and took photo opportunities with suspended party leaders to reinforce this falsehood,” the statement said.
The SDP stressed that el-Rufai’s actions violated the party’s constitution and threatened its unity and ideological integrity.
Presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga mocked the former governor on social media, describing him as “Internally Displaced Again.”
Efforts to get el-Rufai’s reaction proved unsuccessful, as he and his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, were unreachable.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition associated with el-Rufai has reaffirmed its commitment to registering the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) as a political party, despite its current collaboration with the ADC.
Dr Umar Ardo, Secretary of the coalition’s sub-committee on ADA registration, dismissed claims that the ADA plan had been shelved. He explained that the coalition is adopting a dual-track approach—working with the ADC for now, while pushing forward with ADA’s registration through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Our application is still undergoing INEC’s processes. I believe by next week we’ll get clarity,” Ardo said, referencing INEC’s pre-qualification process for new political parties.
