The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, Adewole Adebayo, has said he is against banning any individual from the party if the person wishes to remain a member.

He made the comment in an interview with Daily Post after being asked about the membership status of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

According to him, issues of party membership fall under the jurisdiction of the National Working Committee (NWC), which has the authority to make such decisions.

“That question is for the National Working Committee of the party. Left to me, I don’t want to ban anyone. Left to me, anyone who is banned and is repentant, and behaves well, should be accommodated. But the organ of the party has the right to make a decision regarding membership; the Supreme Court of Nigeria has decided that,” he explained.

“What I can say, generally speaking, is that as a member of a political party that obeys its own rules, if the party says this is how we go about it, I will follow the party. However, the party has sufficient organs within it for anybody, including someone who was banned or suspended, to approach and make his or her case.”

“For me, as a member who wants the party to grow, anyone who says ‘vote for the SDP’ is my friend, whether he was in my party or not, whether suspended or not. I go around telling people to vote for the SDP, not because of me, but because the country needs alternative politics,” he added.

Recall that recently, El-Rufai urged voters in Kaduna to support SDP candidates, despite claims by the party that he had been expelled.