By Saawua Terzungwe, Balarabe Alkassim (Abuja) & Salim Umar Ibrahim (Kano)
Bigwigs of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) including the party’s vice presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Eng. Yusuf Buhari, and the Kano State governorship candidate in the election, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarawa, yesterday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Kano State Working Committee members of the SDP, 38 local government chairmen and secretaries of the party, 13 former House of Assembly and 6 House of Representatives candidates of the SDP among many others also defected.
The defection of the SDP members was facilitated by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin (APC, Kano North). The event was held at the REIZ Continental Hotel, Abuja, on Tuesday.
The move marks a major setback for the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who recently joined the SDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing the defectors, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, said the defection of the SDP bigwigs showed that the move to use the party to defeat the APC in 2027 was dead on arrival.
“Let me start by saying those who have been moving around, going around the country, trying to woo people to SDP, and thinking that their effort will give birth to a platform that will challenge the APC in the next election, the idea is confirmed to be dead on arrival,” Senator Barau said.
“Why do I say that? People have rejected that invitation. People have said no, we are not coming to your party. The former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and others, who have been mentioned have said no.
“And to add salt into an injury, those who are in the party (SDP) are now moving to our party, APC. The party is going to be empty,” he added, stressing that President Tinubu has done very well within two years of his administration.
The national chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who was represented by the Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, described the defection as a transition “from darkness to light,” underscoring APC’s role as a beacon of transformative leadership under President Tinubu.
Also, a former governor of Kano State, Senator Kabiru Gaya, told the gathering that the SDP was already empty by the time El-Rufai joined it.
Providing reasons for their defection, Buhari said he and other SDP members defected because of President Tinubu’s giant strides in office.
Two PDP lawmakers defect to APC
In a related development, two opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the House of Representatives have also defected to the APC.
Rep. Adamu Tanko (Suleja/Gurara/Tafa, Niger State) and Rep. Hussaini Jallo Mohammed (Igabi, Kaduna State) cited internal divisions in the PDP and ideological alignment with the APC as reasons for their defection.
Their letters were read by Speaker Abbas Tajuddeen during Tuesday’s plenary.