The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, slamming a 30-year ban on him from associating with the party.
The party’s National Working Committee (NWC) stated that the action was in line with the party’s constitution, ideology, manifesto, principles and practices, as well as in consonance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, pertaining to the exclusive right of a political party to determine its membership.
This was contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, Monday.
The party warned its members across the country and the public, “not to have any dealings with him as he is not a member of the party, and does not represent the party’s interests at any level and for any purpose or to any intent”.
The party also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and relevant agencies and institutions to take note of el-Rufai’s non-member status and non-eligibility for the party’s membership until Wednesday, July 28, 2055.
The NWC said it deliberated on el-Rufai’s membership status and discovered that despite the assertion of the Kaduna State Executives, that he (el-Rufai) has not joined the party, he has been parading himself as a member and promoting the activities of other political parties in the state.
“At the initial stage, el-Rufai was given the benefit of the doubt, given his status as an elderly person, a former Minister and State Governor who should know the implications of false representation and impersonation, especially given the fact that he published on his social media handles that he had joined the SDP, which led to congratulatory messages from prominent leaders of our party and a letter of support at his request by the National Publicity Secretary.
“However, upon thorough inquiry, it turned out that the Kaduna SSDP was right that el-Rufai has not joined the SDP,” the party said.
The statement noted that el-Rufai failed to register at his ward as required by the law, despite falsely publishing on the social media that he had joined the party, alleging that instead the former governor devoted so much time to putting up false representation of membership by seeking photo opportunities with the suspended National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, and some leaders of the party, who assumed that he had joined the party in Kaduna State.
The party also accused the former governor of “intolerance and persecution of the party as an opposition while he held sway as the Governor of Kaduna State under the All Progressives Congress (APC)”.
According to the statement, part of the many ‘sins’ of el-Rufai, which attracted the expulsion and the 30-year ban from the party read: “Rather than register lawfully with the Ward Executives, el-Rufai simply forged his own documents and self-registered and arogated to himself ‘number 001 in the SDP membership register of Unguwar Sarki Ward, Kaduna-North Local Government Area, as if the ward had no single member prior to his purported joining. This is contrary to all existing and updated records of the SDP in Kaduna State.
“His dodgy membership status aside, he has been illegitimately trading with the name of the SDP in various forums and other political transactions around the so-called coalition, despite knowing that he has no such authority and contrary to the declared policy of the SDP National Working Committee and other organs.
“Additionally, despite his opaque status, innumerable have been his destabilising schemes against the SDP at national, state and local levels, such that peace which was the hallmark of the party has eluded it since he began fraternising with our leadership and membership.
“The obscene dangling of cash and other inducements and pure guile and utter deception, misinformation and disinformation have characterised his modus operandi, leading to years of comradeship giving way to disunity, distrust, intrigues and manipulations, culminating in sponsorship and financing of grossly unconstitutional and brazenly bizarre pronouncements and gambits.
“The NWC, therefore and hereby, decides that by confirming and ratifying the denunciation of el-Rufai, which was earlier done by his Unguwar Sarki Ward, Kaduna-North Local Government Area and the Kaduna State Executive Committee in Kaduna, the SDP at all levels disassociate, disclaims, dis-fellowships and excommunicates el-Rufai as a member of the SDP.
“And to the extent that he purportedly claims membership by self-registration or any other means, he is consequently, expelled from the membership of the Social Democratic Party anywhere in Nigeria and globally.
“The foregoing actions by the NWC, which are in the exercise of its exclusive powers as guaranteed in Article 19.1; 19.3(i) and 19.5 of the party’s constitution 2022, (as amended), are consequent upon the unacceptable acts of el-Rufai’s gross indiscipline, particularly, in respect of the undeniable fact of having publicly declared for the ADC, which is chosen as their so-called ‘coalition’ vehicle and his confirmed acts towards dragging the SDP dishonestly into their so-called coalition through the back door; and his selfish agenda to destabilise the party, having failed in his mission, by way of sponsoring a group of dissidents to call an illegal National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party on Friday July 25, 2025.
“el-Rufai is hereby banished and banned from applying to the membership, identifying with the name, insignia, logo, symbol, mark or any activities, organs, agencies and institutions of the SDP or donating to, supporting, contributing to, participating in any affairs of the SDP for a period of 30 years effective from today.”
The statement further noted that the SDP was committed to national patriotism, party discipline, ideological clarity, moral rectitude, candour, honour, integrity, principled opposition, fair contest and internal democracy.
“We welcome all Nigerians who subscribe to these ideals and have the revolutionary patience to move the Nigerian people towards the abolition of corruption and farewell to poverty and insecurity, without cutting corners and indulging in duplicity or insincerity,” the statement added.
