SDP Dismisses El-Rufai’s Membership, Says No Record Of Registration
El-Rufai had officially resigned from the APC and announced his move to the SDP. He has also directed his political allies and supporters to join him in the new party.
The Kaduna State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has denied claims that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have joined its ranks, stating that the ex-governor is not a registered member of the party in the state.
El-Rufai had officially resigned from the APC and announced his move to the SDP. He has also directed his political allies and supporters to join him in the new party.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) cited a growing disconnect between his personal values and the APC’s current direction as the key reason for his defection.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC, accused the party’s current leadership of abandoning the progressive ideals that guided its formation in 2013.
He claimed that the party had been taken over by individuals who disregarded internal democracy and treated members with contempt.
He added that despite repeatedly voicing his concerns about the party’s decline, both privately and publicly, his warnings were ignored.
However, the SDP’s Assistant National Secretary for the Northwest zone, Idris Inuwa, at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, dismissed El-Rufai’s purported defection as mere rumour, insisting that due process was not followed.
“Neither the Chairman of the Kaduna North Local Government Chapter nor the leadership of Unguwar Sarki ward has any record of his membership,” Inuwa said.
He advised El-Rufai and others interested in joining the SDP to follow the proper registration process if they wish to be officially recognised.
Inuwa also rejected the purported dissolution of the Kaduna State Working Committee by the party’s national secretariat, describing the move as unconstitutional and a violation of due process.
He stated that the state executive committee was duly elected and had a valid four-year mandate, adding that the party’s constitution stipulates a clear procedure for dissolving such a body, which was not followed.
“The Kaduna State Executive Committee is the legitimate outcome of a duly conducted State Congress, reflecting the will of party members,” Inuwa said. “The purported dissolution is illegal and an affront to internal democracy.”
Despite the controversy, Inuwa reiterated that the SDP remains open to new members, provided they follow the party’s registration guidelines.
“While we recognise the growing interest in joining the SDP, we emphasise that membership must be in line with our constitutional provisions,” he said.
