The Kaduna State chapter of the Social Democratic Party has dismissed claims by former governor, Nasir El-Rufai, that its entire structure has collapsed into the African Democratic Congress coalition.
The party, in a strongly worded statement signed by its State Chairman, Adamu Idris in Kaduna on Monday, described El-Rufai’s assertion as “spurious, misleading and politically mischievous.”
Idris said, contrary to El-Rufai’s claim, the SDP remained intact in Kaduna and had no plans to dissolve into the coalition led by the former governor.
The SDP chairman accused the ex-governor of attempting to sow confusion within the party for his own political gain.
He maintained that the party’s structures were “robust and functional across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State,” insisting that no amount of political propaganda would erase the SDP’s relevance in the state.
He said, “The attention of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party in Kaduna State has been drawn to a reckless statement credited to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to the effect that the entire structure of our party has collapsed into the ADC. This is not only false but also laughable. The SDP remains one and indivisible in Kaduna State. At no time did we hold any meeting where such a decision was taken.
“Mallam El-Rufai is a non-democrat, a self-serving desperado, an unrepentant bigot, and tyranny personified. His short-lived stay in our party was marked by crisis and division. Since his exit, peace has returned, and the party has been repositioned for credible opposition politics.
“The SDP is committed to democracy, good governance, and the protection of the true interests of the Nigerian people. We will not allow the antics of individuals whose track records are riddled with controversy to derail our vision. Kaduna people know who El-Rufai is, and they know he cannot be trusted.”
The PUNCH online reports that El-Rufai, alongside some opposition leaders, announced at the weekend that the SDP in Kaduna had formally dissolved its structure into the ADC during a “strategic coalition meeting” held in the state capital.
A statement issued after the meeting by the coalition’s Publicity Secretary, Darius Kurah, on Sunday, had stated that the meeting, chaired by El-Rufai, brought together political stakeholders across different parties who agreed to collapse their structures in a bid to strengthen the ADC.
Kurah had said, “We are united in the belief that only a broad coalition can rescue Nigeria. The decision by the SDP leaders in Kaduna to collapse their structure into the ADC is a step in the right direction and will further energise the coalition ahead of 2027.”
However, Idris argued that the so-called SDP leaders who joined El-Rufai in the meeting had long been expelled or had no locus standi to speak for the party in Kaduna State.
“These are impostors masquerading as SDP members to curry favour with El-Rufai. They do not represent our party, and they lack the mandate to speak on its behalf. We urge our members and the general public to disregard their antics,” the chairman said.
Meanwhile, the SDP assured its supporters that it would not be distracted by what it termed “El-Rufai’s desperation to remain politically relevant.”
“Our focus is to rebuild the SDP as a credible alternative platform for the people of Kaduna State and Nigeria at large. No amount of falsehood can deter us from that mission,” Idris added.
