SDP accuses APC of plot to fabricate criminal charges against El-Rufai
By Kunle Sanni
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to suppress opposition voices by fabricating criminal charges against its members, beginning with former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai.
In a statement on Friday, SDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, alleged that the APC is using intimidation tactics to deter further defections to the party.
According to the opposition party, the ruling government is leveraging its control over state institutions to orchestrate politically motivated charges.
“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 in Abuja and Kaduna imminently. We have also learned that the Federal Government has instructed its agencies to prevent him from leaving the country,” the statement read.
The SDP also claimed that the Kaduna State Government, under Governor Uba Sani, is mirroring the federal strategy by targeting opposition leaders in the state. The party alleged that Ja’afaru Sani, one of its key figures, was abducted by the police unit Operation Fushin Kada and brought before a magistrate, where the state government sought an order to remand him in prison.
The opposition party cited a similar case involving Bashir Saidu, who was detained on December 31, 2024, and remained in prison for 50 days on money laundering charges. The SDP argued that such cases fall outside the jurisdiction of state courts and the Nigeria Police, further proving that the detentions are politically motivated.
Describing these actions as an abuse of power and a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy, the SDP warned that such tactics, aimed at silencing political opponents, are reminiscent of dictatorial regimes and should have no place in a democratic system.
“The APC is in power today because its leaders were not subjected to persecution when they were in opposition. If previous governments had resorted to jailing them on trumped-up charges, they wouldn’t be in their current position,” the SDP stated.
