Crisis Erupts In SDP 24 Hours After El-Rufai’s Membership

The chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, Moses Peter Oricha, has urged the general public, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard a purported congress being organised by some individuals claiming to be members of the party later this week.

The alarm comes barely 24 hours after the former Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, joined the party.

The SDP is being projected as the party of choice for the opposition coalition movement as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party have been weighed down by series of crisis.

Oricha, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, noted that certain individuals, whom he described as ghost members, are planning to conduct a congress on behalf of SDP in Kogi State on March 12, 2025.

“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 organise a state congress this Wednesday, 12th March 2025.

“This is not only laughable but 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 also 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.

“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,” he said.

Oricha recalled that the congress of the present executive under his leadership, held on April 9, 2022, remains valid under the SDP constitution.

Explaining further, he said: “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.”