Politics
2023: SDP adopts Oyo APC guber candidate, Folarin
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo state, Thursday, adopted Sen. Teslim Folarin, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), as its preferred choice ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
SDP disclosed this position shortly after an emergency State Congress held in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Having reviewed the performances of the party in the last Presidential and National Assembly elections, members of the SDP from across the 33 local government areas agreed to a coalition.
The meeting also saw members calling for a lot of caution in the coalition expressing confidence in the collaboration with the APC candidate.
In their separate remarks, the party leaders from various local governments said the ruling government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Governor Seyi Makinde has been a woe for the entire state.
They noted that it had been their long-standing mission to oust the Makinde-led government as a result of the level of betrayal to the coalition parties that saw him won the 2019 election as well as to the people of the state.
Addressing the gathering, the SDP Chairman, Oyo State, Mr. Micheal Okunlade said in the last 46 months, governance has become something else in Oyo state.
“I am sure you all are aware that the governorship election is coming up next week. It should have been in three days but INEC has decided to reschedule the election. Be that as it may, we have decided to go on with our planned press conference.
“To start with, we all know what brought us here -SDP. The majority of us had decided to join the party owing to the injustice meted to us in the Peoples Democratic Party. And since we started, there has been no problem. Our leaders, starting from our own Alhaja Mulikat Akande Adeola and others have done so very well for us till this point. And we will never take love for granted.
“In the last 46 months, governance has become something else in Oyo. I am not saying this because we were neglected. We moved on long ago. Though I will still get to talk about it. Things are going bad and we are surprised people are not talking about it.
“Governor Seyi Makinde pretends to be who he is not. He is worse than Nebuchadnezzar. He believes that anybody can be bought anytime. And that is why he connects to neglected people. All those who assisted in putting him in power, where are they today? From Baba Rashidi Ladoja to Engr. Raufu Olaniyan, to our own Alhaji Mulikat Akande Adeola to Alhaji Adebisi Olopoeyan to Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin, to Barr. Sharafadeen Alli (now senator-elect). The list is endless. Rather than leave us to our fate, some of us cannot sleep in our houses because thugs are being sent to us.
“In over four years of governance, Makinde has rolled back the achievements of past governments and returned our state to the locust years.
“If he is not using consultants and contractors to fritter our state’s resources, he is doing half-baked projects, at exorbitant costs. His association with an ex-convict and executive cover for his lawlessness has brought our state’s security to ground zero. Indeed, Governor Makinde’s infractions are endless.
“We believe that to right these wrongs, there is a need for us to form a virile coalition with a party that can dislodge this administration that has shown itself to be lacking in development. That is why, after many meetings with major stakeholders even outside of our party, we arrived at Sen. Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
“Our decision is not based on anything than the development of our dear state. He has the record. He is not someone who would promise what he won’t do. He is as straight as that.
“All these said, I like to enjoin all of us to go out en masse and vote for our house of assembly candidates. The support is just for the governorship, and it ends at that”, he submitted.
Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed the possibility of a political merger ahead of the 2027 general election, instead urging former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and other opposition figures to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El-Rufai’s call came in the wake of his resignation from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on 10 March, citing a misalignment of values with the party.
In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, the former governor appealed to opposition leaders to unite under the SDP banner to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the next election.
“My wishes and prayers are that Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf Aregbesola, and all opposition leaders join SDP—not to form a merger or register a new party, but to work together towards 2027,” he said.
El-Rufai also expressed his disappointment in the current administration, stating that despite initial confidence in Tinubu’s leadership, he had failed to meet expectations.
“What pains me is that the government we supported and believed in would perform well because we saw what Tinubu achieved in Lagos despite his challenges,” he remarked. “We all know about his issues in Chicago, but we thought if he could replicate his work in Lagos at the national level, we should support him. However, he has failed.”
Meanwhile, the Presidency has dismissed speculation surrounding the 2027 elections, maintaining that President Tinubu is focused on economic reforms and national development.
In a statement on Friday via X (formerly Twitter), Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Bayo Onanuga, stated:
“President Tinubu is not worried about the next election. He is concerned about the shared prosperity he can bring to Nigerians. He is focused on ensuring that, by the end of his first term, he can look back and say, ‘I have impacted the lives of Nigerians and turned this economy around.’”
Onanuga also highlighted the administration’s achievements, including improved foreign reserves, reduced inflation, a growing trade surplus, and increased foreign investments.
Addressing speculation about his own presidential ambition in 2027, El-Rufai said his candidacy would depend on the party and the will of the people.
“It is not for me to decide; it is the party and the people that will decide. Even when I was contesting for governor, it was the people who met and convinced (Muhammadu) Buhari, and he called me to run,” he said.
As political alignments continue to take shape ahead of 2027, El-Rufai’s defection and his call for opposition unity signal growing tensions within Nigeria’s political landscape.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari has reaffirmed his commitment to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that he remains a loyal member and will continue to promote the party across the country.
Buhari made this known in a statement released on Thursday by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, amid speculations of defections from the APC.
“I am an APC member, and I like to be addressed as such. I will try to popularise the party by all means,” the former president declared.
Without referring to any individual or ongoing political debates, Buhari reiterated his long-standing position on party loyalty, emphasizing that he would never turn his back on the APC—the platform that brought him to power for two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2023.
He expressed gratitude to the party and its supporters for the trust they placed in him, acknowledging their role in his political journey. “I have nothing but gratitude for the support that the party gave me before and during my tenure as president. That, to me, is the highest honor, and I would never ask for anything more,” he added.
Buhari further stressed the importance of preserving the party’s founding ideals, which he described as a crucial effort to safeguard democracy and uphold constitutional values. According to him, the sacrifices made by the APC’s founding fathers in building a formidable party should be appreciated and sustained.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, has revealed that his decision to leave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was made with the knowledge and approval of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
El-Rufai, who officially announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on Monday through a statement on his verified Facebook page, disclosed this in an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday.
The former governor stated that he has always sought Buhari’s counsel on major political decisions, including his departure from the APC.
“There are certain people that before I do any major thing or make any decision, I consult, and anything they ask me not to do, I don’t do, and former President Muhammadu Buhari is among them,” El-Rufai said.
“I consulted Buhari before leaving the APC. It was on a Friday when I went and met him. I hardly make any major decision without consulting him. I told him to pray for me and give me his blessings, which he did.”
El-Rufai also recalled how, during his time as Kaduna State governor, he sought Buhari’s input on key appointments, including the selection of commissioners.
“Even when I was governor of Kaduna before I appointed my commissioners, I took the list to Buhari for cross-checking to see if, from among them, someone ever insulted him.
“He laughed, thanked me, and told me to go ahead and appoint my commissioners,” he added.
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