The Senator representing Nasarawa West, Ahmed Wadada Aliyu, has announced his decision to quit the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing differences with certain individuals who have recently joined the party.
In an interview with newsmen in Keffi on Sunday, Senator Wadada, specifically named Malam Nasir El-Rufai as major reason for his decision.
He stated that although El-Rufai was his elder brother, he would not remain in the same party with someone whose political principles he did not respect.
“Even though Malam El-Rufai is my elder brother, I don’t think I can stay with him in the SDP because he is not a principled politician,” Senator Wadada said.
He criticised El-Rufai’s political shift, noting that El-Rufai was once a staunch advocate for power rotation to the South and played a critical role in the emergence of President Bola Tinubu, both as the APC flagbearer and ultimately the President.
However, Wadada expressed disappointment that El-Rufai abandoned the APC for the SDP, not for any other reason than his inability to secure a ministerial position.
“What changed in President Tinubu between the time El-Rufai supported him and now that he has defected to the SDP?”
He described the defection as driven by selfish interests, emphasizing that he cannot work with individuals who place personal ambition above the collective interest.
He contrasted El-Rufai’s behaviour with that of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, whom he described as a consistent and principled politician.
Wadada recalled how Senator Adamu, prior to the 2023 APC primaries, supported Senator Ahmad Lawan as the party’s presidential candidate.
Despite Lawan’s loss to Bola Tinubu, Adamu remained loyal to the APC and stood by his decision without defecting—an action Wadada hailed as a mark of integrity.
Commenting on the state of the nation, Senator Wadada acknowledged the economic challenges brought on by the removal of fuel subsidies.
However, he expressed optimism, noting that governments at all levels are making efforts to improve citizens’ welfare.
“In Nasarawa state, the impact of the oil subsidy funds is visible everywhere—even to the most gullible and the blind,” he asserted.