Social Democratic State President Shehu Musa Gabam revealed that in the recent case of Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, more prominent politicians are about to join the party to rebel from All Progressive Congress (APC).
In an interview with Trust TV on Monday, Gabam said El-Rufai’s move has sparked a wave of interest from cross-party politicians, especially in Kaduna State.
Although Gabam declined to name it, party insiders hinted that former Ekiti Governor Kayode Fayemi and former Russian Governor Rauf Aregbesola are reportedly considering moving to SDP.
El-Rufai has recently held a closed-door meeting with Rev. Aregbesola and Tunde Bakare in Lagos, further intensifying speculation.
He also visited former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to raise questions about broader political adjustments ahead of the 2027 election.
However, Fayemi denied any plans to abandon APC.
He said in a statement Tuesday “My attention has caused a story that circulated on several online platforms my defection from All Progressive Conferences (APCs). As I have reason to state in the past, I am a member of the Card Foundation for APC and this position has not changed.”
However, he criticized the internal democracy of APC and said “While I have always been at the vanguard of the need for greater internal democracy and inclusion to the ruling party, I don’t think it’s too late for our party to change course and move towards greater inclusion and internal democracy.”
SDP will not merge with other parties – Gabam
Meanwhile, Gabam reiterated that the ongoing wave of SDP defection is part of a broad push to redefine Nigeria’s democracy and ensure better governance of the people.
He dismissed the proposal to merge the SDP plan with other opposition parties, saying:
Gabam said, “The SDP doesn’t match supporters of the party merger. It’s a messy recipe. What we’re doing is strengthening our structure at the grassroots level.”
He also clarified that El-Rufai’s defection was not necessarily related to the president’s ambitions, pointing out that all aspiring people in the SDP must go through transparent grassroots procedures before gaining party recognition.
“The party’s philosophy is deeply rooted in grassroots democratic participation. Every potential aspirant must carry out the entire process from the grassroots level to prevent imposition.” He said.
