‘Mission Dead On Arrival,’ DSP Barau Mocks El-Rufai as SDP Leaders Defect to APC
In a significant shift in Nigeria’s political landscape, top members of the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), including the party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Buhari, and Kano State governorship candidate, Bala Gwagwarawa, have officially joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defections, formalized at a major event in Abuja on Tuesday, also saw the entire SDP State Working Committee in Kano, 38 local government chairmen and secretaries, 13 state assembly candidates, and six House of Representatives candidates making the switch to the APC.
Reacting to the mass defections, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau declared that the SDP’s ambitions to position itself as a viable challenger to the APC in the 2027 elections had effectively collapsed. Barau mocked the efforts of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who had recently joined the SDP in an attempt to revitalize the party, saying the plan was doomed from the start.
“Those traveling around the country trying to make the SDP a credible opposition to the APC in 2027 have failed miserably. That mission is dead on arrival. Nigerians have rejected it. Even influential figures like Sule Lamido have distanced themselves from the party,” Barau stated.
He further added, “Today, we see the SDP’s vice-presidential candidate, the Kano governorship flag-bearer, and other key SDP figures joining the APC. More are expected to follow soon. If we had delayed this meeting until tomorrow, almost all SDP candidates nationwide would have joined us.”
APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje welcomed the defectors, assuring them of equal rights and opportunities within the ruling party. He described their transition as a shift “from darkness to light,” underscoring the APC’s commitment to transformative leadership under President Bola Tinubu.
Former Kano State Governor Kabiru Gaya also chimed in, stressing that the SDP had already been politically weakened even before El-Rufai’s arrival.
“The SDP is finished. Its vice-presidential candidate is here, the Kano candidate is here, and all its significant figures have now joined the APC. I commend the Deputy Senate President for bringing these powerful politicians into our fold. It’s a major win for the APC,” Gaya said.
