THE Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai from its fold.
According to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), EL-Rufai’s expulsion is for 30 years.
The party said the former governor was ineligible to associate with it in any form for the next 30 years.
It accused El-Rufai of pretending to be a member, manipulating processes, and trying to destabilise the party.
This was disclosed in a statement by the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, in Abuja, on Monday, July 28.
According to the statement, the party’s NWC took the decision following detailed investigations into El-Rufai’s contentious claims of membership and his alleged backdoor political activities.
The SDP said the former governor never registered with it at his ward level as required by law, but falsely declared on social media that he had joined the party.
It accused him of gross indiscipline, misinformation, inducement, and manipulation, which allegedly fueled internal divisions and threatened the party’s unity and ideological integrity.
The SDP accused El-Rufai of secretly aligning with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and trying to drag the SDP into “an unauthorised coalition.”
“Having confirmed that he publicly declared for the ADC and continued to act in a manner contrary to the principles and practices of the SDP, the party has no option but to disassociate and excommunicate him.
“Consequently, El-Rufai has been banished and banned from applying to the membership, identifying with the name, insignia, logo, or participating in any affairs of the SDP for a period of 30 years, effective immediately,” the party stated.
The SDP urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other bodies not to recognise El-Rufai as its member, cautioning that he was not authorised to represent the party.
The ICIR reports that El-Rufai resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2025 and joined the SDP.
“Today, the 10th of March 2025, I have submitted a letter resigning my membership of the APC to my ward in Kaduna, effective immediately.
“Subsequent to this, I had concluded consultations with my mentors, colleagues, and loyalists alike about the future and have decided to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and adopt it as the platform for our future political engagements and activities,” the former Kaduna governor said in a statement.
In March 2025, a new coalition emerged, led by former Vice President of Nigeria Atiku Abubakar.
Apart from Abubakar, who was the presidential candidate of the PDP, others in the coalition include notable figures, namely former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi and El-Rufai.
According to the group, it seeks to consolidate opposition efforts and present a unified front against the APC in the 2027 election.
On July 5, 2025, the coalition adopted the ADC as its platform and appointed interim leaders, including David Mark as its National Chairman.
A reporter with the ICIR
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