The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has been plunged into a fresh crisis after its National Working Committee (NWC) announced the expulsion of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and barred him from associating with the party for the next 30 years.

Announcing the decision in Abuja on Monday, the SDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, accused El-Rufai of falsely parading himself as a party member, forging membership documents, and attempting to destabilise the party through unconstitutional political manoeuvres.

“El-Rufai never registered with the SDP at his ward level as required by the party’s constitution, yet falsely declared on social media that he had joined the party.

“He further forged documents claiming membership and took photo opportunities with suspended party leaders to reinforce this falsehood,” Aiyenigba said.

The NWC further alleged that El-Rufai aligned himself with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) while trying to draw the SDP into an unapproved political coalition.

“Having confirmed that he publicly declared for the ADC and continued to act in a manner contrary to the principles and practices of the SDP, the party has no option but to disassociate and excommunicate him.

“Consequently, El-Rufai has been banished and banned from applying to the membership, identifying with the name, insignia, logo, or participating in any affairs of the SDP for a period of 30 years, effective immediately,” the statement added.

Kaduna SDP Disowns Expulsion

In a dramatic twist, the Kaduna State chapter of the SDP swiftly distanced itself from the expulsion order, insisting that El-Rufai remains a bona fide member and respected leader of the party in the North-West.

Speaking in an interview with Punch, the Kaduna State Publicity Secretary, Darius Kurah, dismissed the NWC’s action as a baseless smear campaign orchestrated by suspended national officers.

Kurah said, “What is happening since yesterday and today is clearly a fallout of the SDP NEC meeting held on July 25, 2025.

“At that meeting, both the national chairman and the secretary of the party were suspended for misappropriation of funds and other internal breaches. They were found unworthy of leadership and immediately replaced with a new national leadership.

“Those suspended are the same people behind this false narrative about the expulsion and banning of Malam Nasir El-Rufai from the party.

“They are sponsoring some individuals to publish false information, trying to link their removal to the influence of El-Rufai.”

The SDP spokesman insisted that neither the state chapter nor the national body of the party had expelled or banned El-Rufai, saying such a decision must follow due process and be based on clearly established infractions, which, he said, was not the case.

“To set the records straight, the party is not aware of any expulsion or ban of Malam Nasir El-Rufai. He remains a bonafide and respected member of the party.

“But as far as the Kaduna State SDP is concerned, and from what I know as the state Publicity Secretary, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has not committed any offence against the party.

“He remains not only a member of the party in Kaduna State but also a leader and key stakeholder in the entire North-West region,” Kurah said.

When asked if the former governor had been officially notified of the purported expulsion or allowed to defend himself if any offence had been committed, Kurah dismissed the notion, insisting that no formal procedure was followed and no allegations were levelled against him.

He said, “There has been no official communication to the state chapter regarding any disciplinary action against El-Rufai. That alone should tell you the so-called expulsion is baseless and a calculated attempt to smear his image.

“In fact, the party constitution is clear about the disciplinary process. There must be a petition, a fair hearing, and a committee must be set up. None of that happened in this case. It is all just a media stunt.”

He urged party supporters and members of the public to disregard the purported ban on El-Rufai, calling on the media to verify such sensitive information before publication.

“We call on the media to cross-check with the official structures of the party before running with these kinds of reports. We also urge party members to remain calm and focused. The SDP remains a strong and united party, and no amount of propaganda will change that,” he added.