“He Has Come As An Undertaker, Not A Reformer” – SDP Youth Rejects El-Rufai’s Defection

A coalition of young members within the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has strongly opposed the defection of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, accusing him of having a history of undemocratic practices and exclusionary politics.

Describing him as “unfit and morally unqualified,” the group accused El-Rufai of having a track record of anti-democratic tendencies and authoritarian leadership.

El-Rufai, who recently left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after openly criticising the party and engaging with opposition figures, formally joined the SDP earlier this week.

However, his move has been met with resistance, particularly from the SDP Youths and Supporters Coalition, who insist that he is unfit for the party.

In a statement released on Friday, the coalition’s president, Comrade Abdulsamad Bello, condemned the party’s leadership for allowing what they termed a “clandestine deal” to welcome El-Rufai, warning that his presence could destabilise the party.

“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 declared.

The group also accused the party leadership of making a secretive arrangement that enabled El-Rufai’s defection, warning that his involvement could destabilise the SDP.

“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.”

Tensions within the party have already surfaced following El-Rufai’s arrival.

On Wednesday, his supporters staged a demonstration at the SDP national headquarters in Abuja, demanding the resignation of the party’s national secretary, Olu Agunloye.

According to the youth coalition, this was an early sign of El-Rufai’s attempt to take 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 read.

The coalition further claimed that El-Rufai’s defection was driven by personal political ambitions rather than any genuine commitment to the party’s ideology, particularly given his recent criticism 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 remarked.

“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.”