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By Sola Ojo, Abuja
The former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has been embroiled in a controversy surrounding his membership in his newly found haven, the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The Kaduna State Executive Committee of the SDP has disputed El-Rufai’s membership, stating that neither the Chairman of the Kaduna North Local Government Chapter nor the leadership of Unguwar Sarki ward has any record of his membership.
This development comes after El-Rufai publicly announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the SDP, citing the APC’s deviation from its founding progressive ideals.
However, the Assistant National Secretary, North-West Zone of SDP, Idris Inuwa, at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, rejected the national party’s decision to dissolve the State Working Committee with the intention to impose some people on the party, calling it an “exercise in futility”.
To him, the SDP constitution outlines a clear process for dissolving a State Executive Committee, which includes initiating an investigation, setting up a committee, and providing a fair hearing, claiming that none of these procedures were followed, rendering the dissolution null and void.
The text of the press conference, titled “Rejection of the purported dissolution of the Kaduna State Working Committee of the SDP”, read in part: “The Kaduna State Executive Committee of the SDP categorically rejects the purported dissolution of the State Working Committee as contained in a letter from the National Secretariat dated 25 February, 2025 with no reference number, no tracking identity and does not have the proper mailing/correspondence address of the Kaduna State SDP.”
“We state unequivocally that the action contained in the letter is an exercise in futility and of no consequential effect whatsoever.
“The Kaduna State Executive Committee is a product of a duly conducted State Congress and holds a four-year mandate that remains valid and binding.
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“Any attempt to dissolve the legitimately constituted leadership of the party in the state is not only unconstitutional but also a direct affront to the principles of due process and internal democracy.
“This, therefore, underscores the nullity of the purported setting up of a caretaker committee under one individual.”
Already, there is tension in the SDP since El-Rufai pitched his political tent there, thereby raising suspicion that the development was to favour him and those in his support.
“It has come to our notice that certain individuals, including Nasir El-Rufai, are rumoured to have joined the SDP. However, neither the Chairman of the Kaduna North Local Government Chapter in Kaduna State nor the leadership of Unguwar Sarki ward has any record of these memberships.
“Consequently, Nasir El-Rufa’i and his co-travellers are not recognized members of the SDP in Kaduna State at this time.
“We advise him and any other interested individuals to follow the proper procedures if they wish to officially become members of the party,” Inuwa said.
He, however, called on the SDP at the national level to shelve its “purported” dissolution of the working committee in the state.
“In light of the foregoing, we call on the National Secretariat of the SDP to immediately withdraw the letter purporting to dissolve the Kaduna State Working Committee.
“Failure to do so will leave us with no option but to seek redress through appropriate channels, including the courts of law,” he threatened.
