Pro-Nasir El-Rufai protesters invaded the national headquarters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding the removal of the party’s national scribe, Olu Agunloye.
The protesters, holding placards, accused Agunloye of mismanaging the party and called on him to either clear his name regarding his fraud case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or step down.
Agunloye, a former Minister of Power and Steel under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, is currently facing trial by the EFCC over allegations of fraudulent contract awards and official corruption.
One of the charges filed by the EFCC accuses Agunloye and Leno Adesanya, who remains at large, of forging a document dated May 22, 2003.
The document titled “Construction of 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on Build, Operate, Transfer Basis” allegedly caused the Federal Government of Nigeria to enter into a contract with Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL).
The EFCC claims the forgery violates Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code and is punishable under the law.
Some of the placards brandished by the protesters at the SDP headquarters on Wednesday read: ‘Clear your name or resign: Dr. Agunloye, face your EFCC cases and stop embarrassing SDP!’ ‘Don’t destroy SDP! Dr. Agunloye’s EFCC case is destroying SDP! Resign now and give us a chance,’ and ‘Save SDP’s legacy! Dr. Agunloye must resign immediately! We demand change for a better future!’
Sources revealed that the protesters are supporters of Nasir El-Rufai, the former Kaduna State Governor who recently defected to the SDP from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
El-Rufai officially resigned from the APC on Monday and announced his move to the SDP. He has also directed his political allies and supporters to join him in the new party.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) cited a growing disconnect between his personal values and the APC’s current direction as the key reason for his defection.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC, accused the party’s current leadership of abandoning the progressive ideals that guided its formation in 2013.
He claimed that the party had been taken over by individuals who disregarded internal democracy and treated members with contempt.
He added that despite repeatedly voicing his concerns about the party’s decline, both privately and publicly, his warnings were ignored.
“On my part, I have raised concerns in private and, more recently, in public regarding the capricious trajectory of the party. Therefore, at this point in my political journey, I have come to the conclusion that I must seek another political platform for the pursuit of the progressive values I cherish,” he said.
El-Rufai, who served as governor of Kaduna from 2015 to 2023, said he had hoped that the APC would remain committed to the principles of good governance, democracy, and development.
However, he now believes the party has strayed and no longer represents the ideals of its founding fathers.
The former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recalled how he played a key role in securing electoral victories for the APC in 2015, 2019, and 2023, but expressed disappointment at how the party has been run in recent years.
“I, therefore, call on all our supporters and other persons concerned about our country’s future to join us in the SDP in the journey towards making Nigeria flourish as a beacon of pride for Africans and the Black Race,” he said.
Meanwhile, TheCable reported on Tuesday that Agunloye had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over an alleged plot to pressure him into resigning.
It was also disclosed that SDP members loyal to El-Rufai are actively pushing for Agunloye’s resignation.
“I petitioned the IG about a person who forged letterhead paper and is threatening me to resign,” Agunloye confirmed the submission of the petition to TheCable.
Meanwhile, Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has described El-Rufai as an asset with a strong record of public service.
Background Of Agunloye’s EFCC Case
Meanwhile, Sunrise Power is seeking $2.3 billion in compensation from Nigeria through arbitration at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris over the government’s failure to honor the contract.
The contract was awarded by Agunloye while serving as a minister, just a day after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had instructed him to withdraw the memo.
On October 10, 2017, Sunrise initiated arbitration against Nigeria at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris, seeking $2.354 billion in damages for “breach of contract” related to a 2003 agreement to construct the 3,050MW Mambilla power plant in Taraba State on a “build, operate, and transfer” basis, valued at $6 billion.
In a second arbitration, the company is demanding $400 million as compensation for the Nigerian government’s failure to honor the terms of a 2020 settlement agreement intended to resolve the dispute.