At an emergency meeting, the party suspended the membership of Donaldson – who is to appear in court next month – and appointed its deputy leader, Gavin Robinson, as interim leader.
A DUP statement said: “The party chairman has received a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as leader of the Democratic Unionist party with immediate effect.
“In accordance with the party rules, the party officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership, pending the outcome of a judicial process.”
The Lagan Valley MP, 61, deleted his X, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts and the party removed his image from its website.
Police issued a statement saying a 61-year-old man had been charged on Thursday with “non-recent sexual offences” and that a 57-year-old woman had been charged with aiding and abetting additional offences. They are to appear before Newry magistrates court in County Down on 24 April.
The abrupt end of Donaldson’s leadership stunned Northern Ireland and will jolt the British and Irish governments.
Robinson said he and other party leaders learned of the charges on Thursday night. “It’s been a devastating revelation and has caused tremendous shock,” he told Sky News.
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