• Internally displaced again, Onanuga mocks ex-gov
• We’ve not abandoned ADA for ADC, says Ardo

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has expelled former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, from the party.
 
SDP declared el-Rufai ineligible to associate with the party in any capacity for the next 30 years, accusing him of falsely parading himself as a party member, manipulating internal processes and attempting to destabilise the party through unconstitutional actions and deceptive political manoeuvres.
 
Meanwhile, a coalition of opposition political actors pushing for realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections insisted it had not jettisoned its bid to register the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) as a new political party, despite its affiliation with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).  
 
A statement signed by the SDP National Publicity Secretary, Araba Aiyenigba, and made available to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, noted that the party’s NWC reached the decision following thorough investigations into el-Rufai’s controversial claims of membership and “alleged backdoor political activities” which fuelled internal divisions and threatened the party’s unity and ideological integrity.
 
The statement reads: “El-Rufai never registered with the SDP at his ward level as required by the party’s constitution, yet falsely declared on social media that he had joined the party. He further forged documents claiming membership and took photo opportunities with suspended party leaders to reinforce this falsehood.”
 
“In line with the Constitution of SDP, the ideology, manifesto, principles and practices thereof, and in consonance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act pertaining to the exclusive right of a political party to determine its membership, the NWC deliberated on the controversial membership status of el-Rufai from Kaduna, who has, in recent months, been parading himself as a member of the SDP despite the assertion of the Kaduna executives that he has not joined the SDP but has instead been promoting the activities of other political party in the state.”
 
SDP accused the former governor of aligning with ADC while trying to draw the SDP into an unapproved political coalition.
 
Following the ban, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, mocked el-Rufai, quipping, “Internally Displaced Again!”
  
Efforts by The Guardian, yesterday, to get el-Rufai’s comment on the issue were unsuccessful, as his known telephone number and that of his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, could not be reached.
 
Reacting to reports suggesting the coalition might have dropped the ADA registration process following the adoption of the ADC as its operational platform, Secretary of the coalition’s Sub-Committee on the Feasibility of a New Party, Dr Umar Ardo, said on Sunday that such claims were unfounded.
 
According to Ardo, the coalition is pursuing a dual-track strategy, strengthening ties with the ADC while continuing its formal engagement with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for ADA’s registration.
  
“The coalition is anchored on a two-pronged approach. Yes, the ADC is there, but we are not abandoning our application for the registration of ADA,” Ardo stated.
 
He explained that “while the ADC serves as a temporary vehicle for the coalition’s mobilisation efforts, the ultimate aim remains to establish a distinct political identity” through the ADA.
 
“Our application is still undergoing INEC’s processes and procedures. I believe, by next week, we will get clarity,” Ardo said, referencing INEC’s recent announcement about pre-qualifying political associations to upload their particulars via its party registration portal.