A youth coalition within Nigeria’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) has rejected the defection of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of attempting to hijack the party for personal political gains.
El-Rufai, who resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday after months of meetings with opposition leaders, officially joined the SDP earlier this week. However, his move has sparked outrage among some party members, particularly within the SDP Youths and Supporters Coalition.
In a statement issued on Friday, the group, led by its president, Comrade Abdulsamad Bello, described El-Rufai as “unfit and morally unqualified” to be part of the SDP, citing what it called his “anti-democratic record” during his tenure as governor.
“We reject El-Rufai’s entrance into our party in its entirety. He has come not as a reformer but as an undertaker, seeking to bury the SDP before it even has the chance to grow,” Bello said.
The coalition also criticised the party’s leadership for what it described as a “clandestine deal” that allowed El-Rufai’s defection, warning that his presence could destabilise the party.
“El-Rufai has never believed in democracy. His history of suppressing opposition voices, sidelining party members, and enforcing his will through coercion is well known,” Bello added.
“It is shocking that the leadership of our party would allow itself to be infiltrated by someone whose tenure in office was marked by impunity, authoritarianism, and disregard for democratic values.”
The former governor’s entry into the party has already sparked tensions. On Wednesday, his supporters staged a demonstration at the SDP national headquarters in Abuja, calling for the resignation of the party’s national secretary, Olu Agunloye.
According to the youth coalition, this is evidence of El-Rufai’s attempt to seize control of the party’s leadership.
“Barely days after joining our party, El-Rufai is already pushing for a leadership change. He is demanding that Olu Agunloye resigns, even when the party has its own internal mechanisms for handling such matters. This is a clear sign of his desperation to control the SDP and mould it in his own image,” the statement added.
The group accused El-Rufai of using the SDP as a platform for his personal political ambitions, particularly in light of his recent criticisms of President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
“El-Rufai’s resignation from the APC and his calculated entry into the SDP is nothing but a desperate attempt to reinvent himself politically,” Bello added.
“The same man who once insulted opposition leaders and dismissed them as irrelevant is now seeking refuge in their midst. His hypocrisy knows no bounds.”
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