SDP Bans El-Rufai Ahead of 2027 Election, Reason Emerges
- Members of the national working committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have taken the final decision to expel Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai from the party
- SDP, one of Nigeria's prominent opposition political parties, said El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna state, is ineligible to associate with the party in any capacity for the next 30 years
- The party also accused El-Rufai of falsely parading himself as a party member, manipulating internal processes, and attempting to destabilise the party through unconstitutional actions
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria.
Kaduna, Kaduna state - The Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday, July 28, expelled the immediate past governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai.
As reported on Monday, July 28, by The Nation, this was contained in a statement by Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the party’s national spokesperson.
Source: Twitter
The Nigerian Tribune also noted the SDP's decision.
The party’s national working committee (NWC) stated that the SDP’s expulsion of El-Rufai was in line with the party’s constitution, ideology, manifesto, principles, and practices, as well as in consonance with the Nigerian constitution and the Electoral Act.
Legit.ng had reported how El-Rufai, 65, announced his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and defected to the SDP in March.
El-Rufai expressed his disappointment with the APC’s leadership, accusing the party of straying from the progressive ideals of its founding members.
He revealed that he had raised concerns about the party’s trajectory both privately and publicly over the past two years, but found no willingness among the current leadership to address the issues.
In July, El-Rufai, along with other opposition leaders, adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition platform to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
He attended the ADC's the ADC coalition unveiling at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
Source: Twitter
Why El-Rufai was expelled by SDP
Reacting to El-Rufai's recent political alignments, the party said:
“Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai failed to register at his Ward as required by the law despite falsely publishing on social media that he had joined the SDP."
It added:
“His dodgy membership status aside, El-Rufai has been illegitimately trading with the name of the SDP in various forums and other political transactions around the so-called Coalition, despite knowing that he has no such authority and contrary to the declared policy of the SDP national working committee and other organs."
'El-Rufai for 2031 election'
Meanwhile, a political analyst, Segun Akinleye, has said there is a pathway for El-Rufai to be elected in 2031.
In the wake of El-Rufai’s new association with the ADC coalition, some political experts have maintained that it would be hard for him to contest against and dislodge President Tinubu in 2027. According to Akinleye, 2031 is a more realistic time.
He told Legit.ng:
"If President Bola Tinubu remains in power until 2027, he completes the South’s eight-year cycle, and power shifts back to the North. By then, Atiku Abubakar may no longer be in the picture due to age, leaving El-Rufai and Rabiu Kwankwaso as the strongest contenders."
Read more on Nasir El-Rufai:
- "You can’t ignore him": Shettima praises El-Rufai amid controversies
- El-Rufai mentions what he did for Tinubu: "I contributed to this country’s problems"
El-Rufai challenges Tinubu's appointees
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that El-Rufai urged those in President Tinubu’s administration to be conscious of the future, noting that they will one day be out of power.
El-Rufai said Mohammed Adoke was one of those who stood behind former President Goodluck Jonathan and persuaded him to concede defeat to late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari after the 2015 election.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
