SDP loses key figures as ex-VP candidate, Kano governorship candidate defect to APC

Yusuf Buhari, the 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Bala Mohammed Gwagwarawa, the party’s governorship candidate in Kano, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The politicians moved to the APC alongside 38 SDP local government chairmen and secretaries, 13 house of assembly and six house of representatives candidates in Kano state.

Barau Jibrin, senate deputy president, received the politicians into the APC in Abuja on Tuesday.

The deputy senate president said the plan to use the SDP to challenge the APC in 2027 was dead on arrival following the defection of the politicians into the ruling party.

“Let me start by saying that for 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,” he 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 to injury, those who are in the party (SDP) are now moving to our party, APC. The party is going to be empty. Today, the vice-presidential candidate, the governorship candidate in Kano state and other heavyweights in the SDP have joined APC.”

Jibrin also assured the new APC members that they would be treated equally and fairly in the ruling party.

Abdullahi Ganduje, APC national chairman, assured the new entrants that they would be availed of all rights and privileges accorded to all members.

Ganduje, represented by Emma Eneukwu, deputy national chairman (south), described the defection as a transition “from darkness to light”.

“APC is a party of inclusion, where every member enjoys equal rights to contest elections and contribute to nation-building,” Ganduje said.

Buhari said they were motivated to join the APC due to the successes being recorded under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

“The fact of the matter is that everything is very clear. When this government came into power under the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, there were a lot of problems on the ground,” he said.

“Even though we know that the former administration has done a lot, but there are still a lot of problems on the ground.

“Amongst them was the issue of insecurity. The subsidy regime has gone upside down. And because of that, His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, had to instill very strong and very painful economic reforms. Whenever you try to come up with reforms, there have to be pains.

“But after two years, we have started to see that these economic policies are yielding some fruit. The foreign exchange is beginning to stabilise. Prices of goods are coming down. Insecurity is being addressed by our military, by our brave armed forces.

“So hopefully, a lot of our men and women, especially in the rural areas, are going to go back to their farmlands, which is going to further reduce the cost of good prices.”