By Sarah NEGEDU
The Social Democratic Party, SDP, says it has expelled former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’I and banned him for 30-years from associating with the party.
The party’s National Working Committee, NWC, said the action was in line with the party’s constitution, ideology, manifesto, principles and practices, as well as in consonance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act pertaining to the exclusive rights of a political party to determine its membership.
This was contained in a statement by the party’s national publicity secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, Monday in Abuja.
The party warned its members across Nigeria and the public not to have any dealings with el-Rufa’I as he is not a member of the party, and does not represent the party’s interests at any level and for any purpose or to any intent.
The party also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and relevant agencies and institutions to take note of El-Rufa’I’s non-member status and non-eligibility for the party’s membership until Wednesday, July 28, 2055.
The NWC said it has deliberated on El-Rufa’I’s membership status and discovered that despite the assertion of the Kaduna State executives that he has not joined the party, he has been parading himself as a member and promoting the activities of other political parties in the state.
“At the initial stage, El-Rufa’I was given the benefit of the doubt, given his status as an elder, a former minister and state governor who should know the implications of false representation and impersonation, especially given the fact that he published on his social media handles that he had joined the SDP, which led to congratulatory messages from prominent leaders of our party and a letter of support at his request by the National Publicity Secretary.
“However upon thorough inquiry, it turned out that the Kaduna SSDP was right that El-Rufa’I has not joined the SDP,” the party said.
Aiyenigba said that El-Rufa’I failed to register at his ward as required by the law despite falsely publishing on social media that he had joined the party, alleging that instead he devoted so much time to putting up false representation of membership by seeking photo opportunities with the suspended National Chairman, Shehu Musa Gabam, and some leaders of the party who assumed that he had joined the party in Kaduna State;
The SDP accused the former minister of “obscene dangling of cash and other inducements and pure guile and utter deception, misinformation and disinformation have characterised his modus operandi leading to years of comradeship giving way to disunity, distrust, intrigues and manipulations, culminating in sponsorship and financing of grossly unconstitutional and brazenly bizzare pronouncements and gambits.
“The NWC, therefore and hereby, decides that by confirming and ratifying the denunciation of El-Rufa’I which was earlier done by his Unguwar Sarki Ward, Kaduna North Local Government Area and the Kaduna State Executive Committee in Kaduna, the SDP at all levels dissociates, disclaims, dis-fellowships and excommunicates El-Rufa’I as a member of the SDP. And to the extent that he purportedly claims membership by self-registration or any other means, he is consequently, expelled from the membership of the Social Democratic Party anywhere in Nigeria and globally.”
