2027: Dalung, 3 Other Top SDP Politicians El-Rufai May Join Forces With to Sack APC
- The SDP received a major boost on Monday, March 10, 2025, with the addition of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai
- Mallam El-Rufai, a founding member of the APC, is a former governor and one-time federal minister
- Amid El-Rufai's party switch, Legit.ng highlights top SDP politicians the former Kaduna state governor may join forces with to democratically sack the ruling APC
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria.
Kaduna, Kaduna state - After months of criticisms, a former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, finally left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) ahead of the 2027 election.
Legit.ng reports that El-Rufai made the announcement in a statement on Monday, March 10, expressing his dissatisfaction with the APC’s leadership style.
Source: Twitter
SDP chieftains who may align with El-Rufai
SDP is a centre-left political party, created alongside the National Republican Convention by former military president Ibrahim Babangida, as part of a democracy project meant to form two national political parties – one slightly to the left and the other to the right. During the Nigerian Third Republic, it was seen as a moderate party attractive to young radical intellectuals and socialists. Its manifesto advocates for concerted efforts to improve welfare and fight for social justice.
Following El-Rufai's political move, Legit.ng highlights top SDP politicians the former Kaduna governor may join forces with to oust the APC.
1) Solomon Dalung
Solomon Selcap Dalung is a lawyer, academic and politician who served as the minister of youth and sports from November 2015 to May 2019. He has served in the Nigerian Prisons Service, the University of Jos as a lecturer and as chairman of Langtang South local government in Plateau state.
Ahead of the 2023 general elections in 2022, Dalung joined the SDP.
Dalung lost his bid to be elected to the house of representatives.
Source: Facebook
The former minister who contested under the platform of the SDP polled 3,369 and came third behind the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the APC candidates in his Langtang North/Langtang South constituency.
The eventual winner of the contest, Beni Lar of the PDP, scored 42,008 votes and is representing the constituency for the fifth time in the green chamber.
The runner-up of the contest, Vincent Bulus of the APC, scored 21,345 votes.
2) Shehu Musa Gabam
Shehu Musa Gabam is the incumbent SDP national chairman.
A trained political scientist, Gabam has a degree from the University of Abuja. He also holds a master's degree in international affairs and strategic studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.
He belongs to the late Abubakar Rimi's school of thought.
3) Murtala Ajaka
Ajaka is the candidate of the SDP in the November 2023 governorship election in Kogi state.
He came second behind Usman Ododo of the APC in the poll.
4) Adewole Adebayo
Barrister Adebayo is a public affairs commentator who provides advice on national issues and participates in Nigerian politics as a member of the third force.
The Ondo-born media entrepreneur ran for president under the SDP in 2023.
Following the disappointment of 2023, Adebayo shifted focus to 2027.
El-Rufai visits Buhari in Kaduna
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that El-Rufai visited ex-President Muhammadu Buhari at his Kaduna residence.
The visit comes amid recent political developments, including El-Rufai's criticisms of President Bola Tinubu's economic policies and his uncertain stance on supporting Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
El-Rufai's visit may have been a simple courtesy call to welcome former President Buhari back to his Kaduna residence from his hometown of Daura, Katsina state.
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Source: Legit.ng
