Alhaji Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has dismissed the recent defections to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), claiming the party is merely an extension of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Arise Television on March 18, 2025, Galadima argued that most SDP members were originally from the APC, questioning whether any significant figures from other parties had joined.
His comments come in response to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s call for opposition leaders to unite under the SDP to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the 2027 elections. El-Rufai, who recently left the APC for the SDP, has invited prominent opposition figures, including Peter Obi (Labour Party), Atiku Abubakar (PDP), and Rauf Aregbesola (a former Tinubu ally), to join the party.
However, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, a PDP stalwart, rejected El-Rufai’s invitation, calling it an insult.
In a BBC Hausa interview on March 16, 2025, Lamido emphasized his loyalty to the PDP, arguing that the party had laid the foundation for El-Rufai’s political career and criticizing his leadership style.
