SDP is extension of APC, says Buba Galadima

A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Alhaji Buba Galadima, has downplayed the recent wave of defections to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), dismissing it as an extension of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, Galadima stated that the defections were unsurprising, claiming that the SDP maintains strong ties with the APC.

“The SDP that you talked about is a branch of the APC. It was those APC people that moved to what you now call SDP. Nothing more. How many people from other parties have moved to the SDP? That is the question people should ask,” Galadima stated.

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His comments come amid intensified efforts by former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, to build a formidable opposition against President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Since his defection to the SDP earlier this month, El-Rufai has been urging opposition leaders, including Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, to join the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, PDP stalwart and former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has outrightly rejected El-Rufai’s invitation. In an interview with BBC Hausa on Sunday, March 16, Lamido dismissed the call as an “insult,” emphasizing that the PDP was instrumental in El-Rufai’s political rise.

“Leadership is about patience, vision, and working for peace in the country,” Lamido remarked, reaffirming his loyalty to the PDP and dismissing any reason to abandon the party.