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By Oscar Okhifo
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has, once again, debunked claims linking former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, to its platform, insisting that he is not a member of the party and is not involved in any discussions about joining or forming an alliance with its leadership.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, stated unequivocally that El-Rufai has no association with the SDP and has not been in contact with any of its national leaders.
“The attention of the leadership of the Social Democratic Party has been drawn to false claims making the rounds in the media, suggesting that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has joined our party or is in talks to do so. Let it be clearly known that this is not true. El-Rufai is not a member of our party and has no formal or informal relationship with the SDP,” Aiyenigba said.
He warned political actors against dragging the SDP into speculative narratives meant to create confusion ahead of the 2027 political season. According to him, the party remains committed to promoting credible leadership and will not be used as a platform for opportunistic political manoeuvring.
“We are building a party of integrity, discipline and inclusion. We will not allow our platform to be used to launder the image of any politician with questionable antecedents. The SDP is not a dumping ground,” he added.
This is not the first time the SDP has publicly disown El-Rufai.
Similar denials were made earlier in the year when rumours swirled about his purported interest in joining the party after falling out with key figures in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the SDP leadership said it remains focus on internal restructuring and mobilising credible candidates across the country.
“Our focus is on building structures that will deliver real change to Nigerians. We urge the public to disregard any information not officially communicated by the SDP leadership,” Aiyenigba concluded.