“El-Rufai is Not Our Member” – SDP Official

Nasir el-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, is not a registered member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), according to Idris Inuwa, the assistant national secretary for the northwest zone of the party. Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, Inuwa stated that el-Rufai had not followed the required procedure to join the party.

On March 10, el-Rufai announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his intention to join the SDP. He cited concerns over the APC’s direction and claimed that party leadership had ignored his grievances. Following his announcement, el-Rufai met with key SDP figures, including the national chairman, Shehu Gabam, in Abuja.

However, Inuwa clarified that neither the Kaduna North local government chapter nor the leadership of Unguwar Sarki ward has any record of el-Rufai’s membership. He emphasized that party registration must begin at the ward level and follow structured procedures through the local government, state, and national levels.

He advised el-Rufai and other prospective members to adhere to these established processes if they wish to join the SDP officially. Inuwa also opposed the recent dissolution of the Kaduna State SDP working committee by the national working committee (NWC), asserting that membership admission must comply with constitutional provisions.

Despite these concerns, Inuwa reaffirmed that the Kaduna chapter of the SDP remains open to new members, provided they follow the appropriate registration guidelines.