…As Presidency mocks move
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufa’i, and barred him from participating in any party activities for the next 30 years.
The dramatic decision, announced by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), stems from allegations of false representation, forged membership claims, and attempts to destabilize the party through unconstitutional actions.
In a statement signed by the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, the party accused el-Rufa’i of never registering with the party at his ward level, as required by its constitution. Despite this, he publicly declared on social media that he had joined the SDP, allegedly using forged documents and orchestrated photo-ops with suspended party leaders to reinforce the narrative.
“El-Rufa’i never registered with the SDP in his ward, yet falsely declared membership and paraded himself as a party figure. His backdoor political activities fueled internal divisions and undermined the ideological integrity of the party”, the statement read.
The SDP further accused el-Rufa’i of pursuing a dual allegiance – declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) while attempting to draw SDP into an unapproved political coalition. “Rather than comply with the lawful onboarding process, he forged his own documents and declared himself ‘number 001’ in the ward’s register, as though the ward had no members before him”, the statement added.
As a result, the party announced el-Rufa’i’s “banishment” from all its structures and activities for three decades, while calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take note of his non-member status. It also warned the public that el-Rufa’i is not authorised to speak or act on behalf of the party in any capacity.
The Presidency reacted swiftly to the development. President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, took to X (formerly Twitter) to mock El-Rufai’s expulsion, writing: “Internally-Displaced Again!”
The jab highlights ongoing tensions between el-Rufa’i, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and his new political alliances. Recall that el-Rufa’i had recently resigned from the APC, citing a growing misalignment between his values and the party’s direction, and had positioned himself at the center of opposition coalition talks ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The SDP reaffirmed its commitment to internal democracy and principled opposition, urging new members to follow due process rather than resort to “self-imposed legitimacy”.
