SDP youths accuse El-Rufai of attempting to hijack party, reject his defection

A coalition of Nigeria’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) youths and supporters has accused the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, of attempting to hijack the party following his recent defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In a statement by its President, Comrade Abdulsamad Bello, on Friday, March 14, 2025, the group expressly rejected El-Rufai’s defection, describing his membership as a direct threat to the core democratic values and progressive ideology that SDP stands for. This is coming barely five days after the former Kaduna Governor officially switched allegiance to the opposition party, after months of meetings with opposition leaders for a possible coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027. However, his defection sparked a storm among party members, particularly the SDP Youths and Supporters Coalition. Speaking on Friday, Bello described El-Rufai as “unfit and morally unqualified” to be part of the SDP, citing what he called his “anti-democratic record” during his tenure as governor. ALSO READ: Exodus in Kaduna APC – party in crisis as El-Rufai’s allies resign “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,” the group said. SDP youths accuse party leaders of making a secret deal with El-Rufai 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. ALSO READ: El-Rufai: Buhari approved my defection from APC to SDP “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,” Bello added. The former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister’s arrival in the SDP has triggered tensions. A group of El-Rufai’s supporters staged a demonstration at the SDP national headquarters in Abuja, calling for the resignation of the party’s national secretary, Olu Agunloye. The youth coalition noted that the development 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 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. “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. “We call on all genuine members of the SDP to rise against this backdoor takeover. The SDP is not a retirement home for failed politicians or a playground for those who trample on democracy. We will resist any attempt to mortgage our party’s future for selfish political ambitions,” Bello concluded.