There are strong indications that some former ministers who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari are planning to move in large numbers to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
According to The Punch, it was reported that a senator from the ninth Assembly, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on the condition of anonymity, revealed that at least, ten former members of Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet were in the process of joining the SDP. The senator explained that what they were waiting for was the finalization of the party’s structure in their respective states before making the move.
Investigations by the The Punch correspondent, correspondents, further revealed that some of Buhari’s key loyalists were leading the planned defections. Among them were the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu; the ex-Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; and the former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan.
A former Senate President, David Mark; the ex-National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; a former Minister of State for Education under Buhari, Emeka Nwajiuba; and the senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, among others, were also said to be involved in the coalition.
While speaking with Saturday PUNCH, a chieftain of the APC in Imo State confirmed that those within the party who had originally come from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) had finalized plans to leave for a coalition.
The chieftain, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that it was confirmed that some ministers who served under Buhari were either leaving or planning to leave the APC. However, he noted that they might not necessarily join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), but he was certain they were part of the broader coalition movement.
He further claimed that no fewer than ten former ministers, along with many senators from the ninth National Assembly, were in the process of leaving the APC. According to him, President Bola Tinubu had mismanaged the party’s success, and it was painful to see things deteriorating daily. He remarked that both northern and southern APC leaders were dissatisfied, while the President appeared unconcerned. He argued that a political party could not grow by shrinking in size, yet the APC was doing just that.
He said, “The CPC bloc of the party has also been leaving. You will agree with me that the CPC is a strong bloc in the APC, and if it is gone, I doubt if the APC will remain the same.”
“Those leaving the All Progressives Congress are foundation members who have genuine followers. Apart from El-Rufai, other former governors are also involved in the political movement. These are not paperweight politicians,” he added.
