The Social Democratic Party (SDP), 2023 vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Buhari, and the party’s Kano State
governorship candidate, Bala Mohammed Gwagwarwa, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The mass defection, which includes members of the Kano State Working Committee and 38 local government
chairmen and secretaries, is seen as a major realignment ahead of the 2027 general election.
The defection ceremony took place at REIZ Continental Hotel in Abuja, where Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau
welcomed the new members into the APC. Barau described the defection as a “transition from darkness to light,”
emphasizing the APC’s role as a beacon of transformative leadership under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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The APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, assured the defectors that they would receive all the rights
and privileges accorded to fellow party members. Ganduje described the defection as a “major setback” for the SDP, particularly for former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who recently joined the party.
Yusuf Buhari attributed the defection to the successes recorded by the APC under President Tinubu, while
Gwagwarwa cited the president’s outstanding performance within less than two years in office. Senator Kabiru Gaya,
a former Kano State governor, noted that the SDP was already “empty” by the time El-Rufai joined.
The mass defection is seen as a significant boost to the APC’s chances in the 2027 elections. With the SDP’s
heavyweights now in the APC, the ruling party is poised to dominate the political landscape.
The APC’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, represented Ganduje at the defection ceremony. Eneukwu emphasized the APC’s commitment to transformative leadership and assured the defectors of a warm welcome.
