The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, for 30 years.
This was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba.
According to the SDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), the decision aligns with the party’s constitution, manifesto, ideology, and internal regulations, as well as the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act, which grant political parties the exclusive right to determine their membership.
The SDP also cautioned its members nationwide, as well as the general public, against engaging with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in any political capacity, stating that he is not a member of the party and does not represent its interests at any level or for any purpose.
The party also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant agencies to recognise El-Rufai’s non-member status and his ineligibility for party membership until July 28, 2055.
According to the National Working Committee (NWC), despite confirmation from the Kaduna State chapter that El-Rufai has not officially joined the SDP, he has continued to falsely present himself as a member while promoting the activities of rival 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 party said.
“However, upon thorough inquiry, it turned out that the Kaduna State SDP was right that El-Rufai has not joined the SDP.”
The statement noted 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, alleging that instead he 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 El-Rufai 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 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.”
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.
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