A coalition of youths within Nigeria’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) has strongly protested the recent defection of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, alleging that he intends to hijack the party to further his own political agenda.
The group claims that El-Rufai’s decision to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a strategic move, prompted by his falling out with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu.
The young SDP members, critical of El-Rufai’s tenure as Kaduna governor, accused him of authoritarian leadership and undermining democratic values, rendering him unfit for party membership.
In a statement, coalition president Abdulsamad Bello described El-Rufai’s defection from the APC as a secretive agreement with the party leader, warning that his involvement would destabilize the party.
While urging its party members to resist from what they termed a “backdoor takeover,” the the group vowed to challenge any attempt to sacrifice the party’s future for personal ambitions.
According to the statement, “El-Rufai has never embraced democracy. His track record of silencing opposition, sidelining party members, and imposing his will through coercion is widely known”, the youths alleged.
“We completely reject El-Rufai’s membership in the SDP. He has not come to reform but to dismantle the party before it even has the chance to flourish,” Bello asserted.
“Barely days after joining, he is already seeking to remove key figures from the party’s hierarchy. This clearly signals his ambition to dominate the SDP and reshape it to suit his personal interests,” the statement added.
“El-Rufai’s departure from the APC and sudden embrace of the SDP is nothing more than a desperate bid to revive his political career.
“The same man who once dismissed opposition figures as irrelevant now seeks refuge among them,” Bello remarked.
El-Rufai, who officially resigned from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier this week, joined the SDP amid ongoing political realignments.
However, his move has stirred discontent, particularly among the SDP Youths and Supporters Coalition, which views his entry as a threat to the party’s democratic principles.
Tensions within the party have already escalated following El-Rufai’s defection. 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.
