FG planning multiple charges against El-Rufai in Kaduna, Abuja, says SDP

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government of orchestrating a political crackdown against former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The party claims the government is planning to file multiple charges against El-Rufai in Abuja and Kaduna State while also preventing him from leaving the country.

In a statement on Friday, SDP National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, alleged that the APC is using state institutions to fabricate charges against opposition figures.

The party described the move as part of a broader strategy to suppress political dissent and discourage defections from the ruling party.

“Our sources reveal that the persecution will commence with one of our prominent leaders, Malam Nasir El-Rufai. The government is planning to file multiple charges against him imminently. We have also learned that the Federal Government has instructed its agencies to prevent him from leaving the country,” the SDP stated.

The party also accused the Kaduna State Government, led by Governor Uba Sani, of employing similar tactics, alleging that an SDP state leader, Ja’afaru Sani, was recently abducted by security forces and remanded in prison on questionable charges.

“As was done to Bashir Saidu on December 31, 2024, Ja’afaru Sani was remanded by the magistrate for alleged money laundering.

“This is a matter which is not within the jurisdiction of either a state court or the Nigeria Police. When the gimmick was rolled out in December 2024, it unfolded with a Kaduna magistrate remanding Bashir Saidu in prison till 21 January 2025 on similar charges. It was the precursor to Bashir Saidu spending 50 days in prison,” the SDP added.

SDP condemned what it described as an undemocratic use of power, comparing the situation to past authoritarian regimes.

The party warned that such tactics would only strengthen opposition resolve and called on Nigerians to resist what it sees as a crackdown on democratic freedoms.

The party added, “It is instructive to note that even in the USA, an advanced democratic nation, President Donald Trump was severally and severely persecuted and vilified by the political establishment, but all that did not diminish him nor detract from his popularity. He weathered the storm and got re-elected to power.”