The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has officially disowned former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, declaring that he is neither a member of the party nor authorized to speak for or represent it in any capacity.
SDP Zonal Secretary for the North-West Zone, Inuwa Idris, made this declaration during a press briefing held in Kaduna on Friday, addressing what the party described as unauthorized representations by the former governor.
"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 (SDP)," Idris stated.
He emphasized the party's position in unequivocal terms: "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."
According to Idris, El-Rufai's actions were conducted "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 party official further clarified that El-Rufai does not appear in any of the party's membership records, has never participated in its programs, and has not been issued any appointment or mandate to act on behalf of the party at any level of its structure.
In the same briefing, Idris reaffirmed the leadership of Umar as acting National Chairman, Chief Olu Agunloye as National Secretary, and Prince Adewole Adebayo as the party's 2023 presidential candidate.
The SDP also issued a stern warning to stakeholders and the public to disregard any statements issued by El-Rufai under the SDP banner, explaining that the party maintains a transparent system of delegation and official communication.
"We pass a vote of no confidence on Malam Nasiru El-Rufai," Idris declared, adding that the party was also calling for "the immediate suspension of Dr Umar Ardo from SDP as he is now a known promoter of new political party the ADA, resorting to use of the SDP Platform is the height of desperation and crass display of failure in political brinkmanship."
The party concluded with what it termed a "final warning" for those it accused of impersonation: "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."
This development adds another layer to the complex political landscape as Nigeria moves toward the 2027 election cycle, with political realignments and positioning already underway among key political figures.
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