Less than a month after former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the party’s North-West leadership has denied that he is a registered member.
In a statement issued in Kaduna, the North-West Assistant Secretary of the SDP, Idris Inuwa, asserted that neither the ward nor the state chapter of the party has any record of El-Rufai’s membership.
“It has come to our notice that certain individuals, including Nasir El-Rufai, are being rumoured to have joined the SDP. However, neither the chairman of Kaduna North Local Government in Kaduna State nor the leadership of Unguwar Sarki ward has any record of these memberships,” he stated.
Inuwa, therefore, urged El-Rufai and other prospective members to follow the proper membership process if they wish to officially join the SDP.
“We advise him and any other interested individuals to adhere to the established procedures for membership registration,” he added.
Furthermore, the North-West Zonal Assistant Secretary rejected the dissolution of the Kaduna State working committee of the SDP by the party’s National Working Committee.
“While we recognise the growing interest of individuals and groups in joining the SDP, we emphasise that there are well-defined guidelines and constitutional provisions governing membership admission. The Kaduna State chapter of SDP remains open to all prospective members who comply with the established procedures,” Inuwa stated.
It will be recalled that El-Rufai resigned his membership of the APC and defected to the SDP on 10 March 2025.
In his resignation statement, El-Rufai cited concerns over what he described as the “capricious trajectory” of the ruling party, which he alleged the leadership had failed to address.
