Kaduna SDP denies collapsing structure into El-Rufai’s ADC coalition

The Kaduna State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has dismissed claims by former governor Nasir El-Rufai that its entire structure has collapsed into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Adamu Idris, on Monday, the party described El-Rufai’s claim as “false, misleading and politically mischievous,” stressing that the SDP remains intact across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Idris accused El-Rufai of attempting to create confusion for personal political gain, insisting that the former governor’s “short-lived stay in the SDP was marked by crisis and division,” but that the party had since been repositioned as a credible opposition platform.

“The individuals parading themselves as SDP leaders at El-Rufai’s meeting were expelled long ago and lack the authority to speak for the party,” he said, urging members to disregard their actions.

At the weekend, El-Rufai, alongside other opposition figures, announced that SDP structures in Kaduna had dissolved into the ADC during a coalition meeting chaired by him in the state capital.

Coalition spokesperson Darius Kurah described the move as a step towards building a stronger opposition ahead of 2027.

But the SDP insisted it would not be distracted by what it called El-Rufai’s desperation to remain politically relevant, vowing to continue strengthening its base as an alternative platform for the people of Kaduna and Nigeria.