Crisis Rocks SDP 24 Hours After El-Rufai’s Membership
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has been thrown into turmoil barely 24 hours after former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, joined the party.
Amid the crisis, the SDP Chairman in Kogi State, Moses Peter Oricha, has called on the public, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard a purported state congress allegedly being organized by unknown individuals claiming to be party members.
In a statement on Tuesday, Oricha dismissed the planned congress, scheduled for March 12, 2025, as illegal, describing those behind it as “ghost individuals” working to destabilize the party.
“It has just come to my notice that some ghost individuals, claiming to be members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, are planning to organize a state congress this Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
“This is not only laughable but also criminal in a modern democratic setting. These individuals are not only faceless but are also being sponsored by their paymasters—not just for their selfish interests but to cause chaos in our party, which we built from scratch.
“The general public should not take these individuals seriously with their caricature of a state congress, which cannot stand the test of time because nobody knows them in SDP Kogi State.”
Oricha further disclosed that he had formally petitioned INEC, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Commissioner of Police, urging them to stop what he described as an “illegal congress.”
“I have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission and copied the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Commissioner of Police, urging them to disregard and stop this purported illegal congress, which will never stand the test of time.
“I am the authentic chairman of SDP in Kogi State, and we will not allow intruders who are working hard to destroy our party, which we have built over the years. This congress, scheduled for Wednesday, is null and void and cannot stand.”
Oricha insisted that the party’s leadership in Kogi remains intact, citing the congress that brought the current executive into office on April 9, 2022, as valid under the SDP constitution.
“Any plan to conduct an SDP congress in Kogi State cannot hold. We urge SDP supporters to disregard any such purported plan by this group of disgruntled elements who are enemies of our party.
“To me, these are all ghost individuals who are not members of the SDP. We urge INEC and security agencies to be on high alert. As far as the SDP is concerned, there is no congress taking place later this week or this year until April 2026, in accordance with our party’s constitution.”
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