A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Keffi, Nasarawa State, has remanded five loyalists of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, worsening the ongoing leadership crisis in the Social Democratic Party, SDP
This is coming amid accusations of political witch-hunts and false claims.
Those remanded pending the hearing of their bail application on Friday include FCT SDP chairman, Nuradeen Bisala; his deputy, Humphrey Onwukaeze; national youth leader, Eluwa Ifeanyi Henry; national legal adviser, Chief Solsuema Osaro and National Secretary, Dr. Ekpenyong Ambo, who is also a former Cross River SDP chairman.
The five are members of the factional National Working Committee (NWC) led by Adamu Abubakar Modibbo, which emerged on July 22, 2025, after they purportedly dissolved the Shehu Gabam-led NWC. The Modibbo-led faction, aligned with El-Rufai, has vowed to reposition the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Spokesperson for the Modibbo faction, Ambassador Judith Shu’aibu, alleged that the Gabam-led NWC orchestrated the arrests, claiming they falsely alleged a break-in at the party secretariat.
“Police went to investigate but found no evidence. Anyone can visit the secretariat and see for themselves,” Shu’aibu said.
She described the factional officers’ arrests as unlawful and akin to “a kidnap,” noting that the accused were denied bail and transferred to Keffi correctional facility.
“Their next court appearance is Friday,” she added.
Shu’aibu declared that the allegations by key figures in the Gabam camp were baseless.
“They’ve been pushing false narratives online to justify these arrests. This is all an attempt to discredit the new NWC,” she said.
The SDP crisis escalated further on Monday when the Gabam-led faction announced the expulsion of El-Rufai from the party and even banned him for 30 years, an action dismissed by El-Rufai’s camp as illegitimate.
Malam Ibrahim Husseini, a former commissioner in El-Rufai’s administration, described the former governor’s expulsion as a joke.
“Before Malam joined the SDP, who even heard of them?” he asked, stressing that El-Rufai remained focused on national development.
“He’s not distracted. He’s working. Nigeria is his priority,” he said.
Another former commissioner and El-Rufai ally, Hafsat Muhammad Baba, confirmed that the former Kaduna governor is a registered SDP member in Unguwar Sarki, Kaduna.
Baba dismissed his expulsion as political mischief, saying, “There’s no provision for a 30-year ban in the party’s constitution. This is just desperation.”
The former commissioner accused unnamed actors of exploiting economic hardship to push false narratives.
She said, “They think money can destabilise him, but he’s strong, active, and focused on national reform.
“El-Rufai hasn’t left the country in two months. He’s committed to making Nigeria work. Those behind the scandal are only chasing selfish gains.”
