2027: PRP gov’ship candidates defect to SDP
Dozens of former governorship candidates of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the previous elections yesterday formally resigned from the party and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Daily Trust reports that since former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the SDP, the party has witnessed a surge […]
Dozens of former governorship candidates of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) in the previous elections yesterday formally resigned from the party and defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Daily Trust reports that since former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, left the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the SDP, the party has witnessed a surge in new members.
Chairman of the PRP gubernatorial candidates’ forum, Mallam Hayatuddeen Lawal Makarfi, described their defection as a historic move aimed at rescuing Nigeria from what he termed its ‘killers.’
“We appreciate the warm gesture of the most influential political leader of today, whose visionary and unwavering leadership qualities have been seen and felt across the country. He is facing persecution because he refuses to compromise standards due to his fear of God and love for Nigeria,” Makarfi said.
Makarfi, who was PRP’s governorship candidate for Kaduna state in the last election, added that Nigerians were gravitating towards the SDP because they believed in its leadership.
“Today, we stand at a crossroads of principle and action. With profound gratitude to the PRP, the party that nurtured our political consciousness, we, the members of the PRP Gubernatorial Candidates Forum, formally join the SDP.
“This is not merely a defection; it is a strategic realignment of progressive forces to rescue Nigeria from failed leadership. We come not as refugees, but as comrades-in-arms, united by the urgency to rebuild our nation,” he said.
Makarfi lamented the state of the country, saying Nigeria is “bleeding” due to soaring poverty and collapsing institutions, while the APC and PDP have turned governance into “a cabal of shared incompetence.”
He stressed that the 2027 elections should not be a contest between the APC and PDP, but between Nigeria and failure, adding that the SDP represents the last hope for the common man.
Responding, SDP National Chairman, Malam Shehu Musa Gabam, assured the new members of a level playing field, saying all party members would be treated equally.
He reiterated the party’s commitment to making Nigeria work, emphasizing that the country must not be left stranded.
“We mean well, we don’t mean harm. The way we were brought up, we were not raised to pull down the roof. And we have no intention of doing so because nobody knows who will be a victim.
“But our primary responsibility is to advise the government to do the right thing. Once you win an election, it is no longer about your party; it is about millions of Nigerians,” Gabam said.