Shehu Musa Gabam, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has explained the party’s position on coalition building, given that more politicians are anticipated to join the party after former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, El-Rufai formally defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP on Monday, escalating talks on opposition coalitions. Although no official agreement has been reached, political leaders have been looking into ways to bring opposition candidates from the 2023 election together. “The SDP is not in alignment with the proponents of a merger of political parties,” Gabam said in response to mounting rumors of a merger. It’s a formula for disaster.
Additionally, he denied that El-Rufai’s action was related to his desire to become president, emphasizing that the party values grassroots involvement. The party’s ideology is rooted in popular engagement in democracy and is consistent with endorsement politics. To avoid imposition, all prospective candidates must go through the procedure from the ground up, he stated.
Politicians from Kaduna State and beyond have expressed interest in joining El-Rufai’s defection, according to Gabam, with more prominent members of the APC and other parties anticipated to do so. Party insiders claim that former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi are among those being connected to the SDP, however he would not confirm particular names.
Fayemi, however, refuted rumors of his impending defection in a statement released yesterday. Rumors of a wider political realignment have been stoked by El-Rufai’s recent contacts with influential political players, including as Aregbesola, Pastor Tunde Bakare, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
