SDP expels Tinubu critic El-Rufai for 30 years for anti-party activities
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna Governor and virulent critic of Bola Tinubu, has been expelled from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for 30 years, for claiming to be a member of the party without registration despite his public declaration of defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His suspension came less than a week after he alleged that the President abuses his powers by unlawfully deducting ₦100 billion monthly from the Federation Account for 15 months running without approval by the National Assembly (NASS), the capstone of his numerous salvos against Tinubu since he left the APC earlier this year.
Just last week, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi explained that Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and El-Rufai had not formally joined the ADC because they were given time to complete some electoral processes in their current parties.
Abdullahi reassured the public that both Obi and El-Rufai were committed to the ADC coalition and would formally join it after completing those processes.
“They were given the opportunity to finalise pending elections, including by-elections and the selection of governorship candidates within their legacy parties,” he stressed.
However, SDP National Publicity Secretary Araba Aiyenigba issued a statement on Monday announcing that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) expelled El-Rufai in line with its constitution, ideology, manifesto, principles, and practices.
SDP also cited Nigeria’s Constitution and the Electoral Act both of which embed the exclusive right of a political party to determine its membership.
The NWC said it deliberated on El-Rufai’s membership status and discovered that, despite the assertion of the Kaduna SDP Executives that he had not joined the party, he was 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,” the statement said.
“However, upon thorough inquiry, it turned out that the Kaduna SDP was right that El-Rufai has not joined the SDP.”
It also:
- Stressed that El-Rufai failed to register at his ward as required by the law despite falsely publishing on social media that he had joined the party, instead he put up false representation of membership by seeking photo opportunities with suspended SDP National Chairman Shehu Gabam and other leaders of the party who assumed he had joined it in Kaduna.
- Accused El-Rufai of intolerance and persecution of the party as an opposition when he was Kaduna Governor on the platform of the APC.
The statement added: “Rather than register lawfully with the Ward Executives, El-Rufai simply forged his own documents and self-registered and arrogated 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 disassociates, 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 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.”
SDP reiterated its 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.”
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