The Social Democratic Party, SDP, has officially distanced itself from former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, stating emphatically that he is not a member of the party and has no authority to represent it in any capacity.
This declaration was made on Friday in Kaduna by Inuwa Idris, the party’s Zonal Secretary for the North-West, during a press briefing.
According to Idris, “It has come to our attention that Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i has taken it upon himself to appear in various fora, including policy dialogues, stakeholder engagements, and even private strategy meetings purporting to speak on behalf of the Social Democratic Party.
“Let this be made unequivocally clear to all: Malam El-Rufa’i is not authorised, mandated, or recognised by the SDP in any capacity to represent its interests, articulate its positions, or speak on its behalf.”
He emphasized that El-Rufai is not listed in any SDP membership register, has never participated in any of its programmes, and has not been given any mandate or appointment to act on the party’s behalf at any level.
Reaffirming the party’s leadership structure, Idris highlighted the roles of Dr Sadiq Umar, Chief Olu Agunloye, and Prince Adewole Adebayo, who was the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
He cautioned political stakeholders and the public to disregard any statements made by El-Rufai under the SDP name, reiterating that such actions were “entirely without the knowledge, consent, or approval of the party’s national leadership—including our dynamic acting National Chairman, Dr Sadiq Umar, among others.”
The SDP, he noted, follows a transparent structure for delegation and communication, and any future engagements involving the party must go through approved representatives, whose identities can be verified upon request.
In addition, Idris called out Dr Umar Ardo, describing him as a promoter of a new political party, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, while condemning his continued use of the SDP platform.
He declared, “We pass a vote of no confidence on Malam Nasiru El-Rufai.
“We call for the immediate suspension of Dr Umar Ardo from SDP, as he is now a known promoter of a new political party, the ADC. Resorting to the use of the SDP Platform is the height of desperation and a crass display of failure in political brinkmanship.
“Let this serve as a final warning for them. Desist from your fraudulent activities.
“Any further impersonation or we will be compelled to call for a special committee by the powers of NEC to look into these matters with a view of publishing all the misdeeds across all available platforms.”
