The Social Democratic Party has expelled former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, from its ranks and barred him from associating with the party in any capacity for the next 30 years.
In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, said the decision followed extensive investigations by the National Working Committee into El-Rufai’s purported membership and what it described as his “deceptive political conduct.”
“El-Rufai never registered at his ward as constitutionally required by the SDP, yet he falsely declared on social media that he had joined our party,” Aiyenigba stated.
“He went further to forge documents and staged photo ops with suspended party leaders to promote that false claim.”
The party said the former governor attempted to destabilize its internal structures by manipulating processes and aligning with external interests.
“In a flagrant disregard for party discipline, he aligned himself with the African Democratic Congress and tried to pull the SDP into a coalition arrangement we never approved,” the statement read.
According to the NWC, El-Rufai’s actions not only misrepresented his status but also threatened the unity and ideological foundations of the party.
“We initially gave him the benefit of the doubt due to his stature as a former governor and minister. However, after verifying facts with our Kaduna State chapter, it became evident he was never lawfully admitted into the party,” the NWC noted.
The statement also disclosed that El-Rufai had fabricated a membership register in his local ward—Unguwar Sarki in Kaduna North LGA—declaring himself as “number 001,” despite no formal registration process being followed.
“He refused to go through the standard eligibility interview and onboarding process. Instead, he self-assigned a false membership identity in total disregard of our constitution,” Aiyenigba added.
The SDP described El-Rufai’s conduct as a gross violation of party and electoral laws and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to take note that he is not and has never been a member of the party.
“As from today, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is excommunicated from the SDP. He is barred from applying for membership, using our name or logo, or associating with the party in any manner whatsoever for a period of 30 years,” the statement emphasized.
The SDP reaffirmed its commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and a lawful admission process for intending members.
“El-Rufai attempted to stage a grand entry into the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, but we advised him to first fulfill the basic requirement of ward-level registration, which he ignored. His actions suggest a deliberate attempt to hijack our platform for personal political gain,” the party said.
The former Kaduna governor had recently announced his departure from the ruling All Progressives Congress, citing a divergence between his values and the current direction of the party.