•Solomon Dalung
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has criticized the wave of defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), likening it to a congregation of the guilty seeking redemption.
According to Dalung, the mass movement of politicians into the APC is not an endorsement of the party’s performance, but rather a desperate attempt by individuals with tainted records to find political shelter, reports Daily Independent.
He referenced a controversial remark once made by ex-Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, who suggested that joining the APC serves as a form of absolution for corrupt politicians—regardless of the severity of their misdeeds. Dalung argued that the current trend of defections is a direct reflection of that ideology in action.
“These are people who have committed heinous crimes against the Nigerian people and they are jumping into the APC ship for the forgiveness of their sins. Not that they believe in Tinubu, no; they do not. They are only assembling so that their sins will be forgiven.
“So it is a conclave of political cardinals who have committed grave sins against the Nigerian people and a political party has offered them the opportunity of forgiveness on entrance,” he said.
He also added that the defections would not add any value to President Bola Tinubu instead the defectors would create problems in the party in future. He said: You know there is an adage in Hausa that if animals celebrate the death of a butcher, has the knife also died? If beneficiaries of the mandate of the people are defecting, have the people also defected?
“So there is no value added to Tinubu except that he has compounded the situation in his party and there will be an implosion.”
He also dismissed concern in certain quarters that the entrance of politicians like the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai into the Social Democratic Party (SDP) could be a potential threat to the presidential ambition of Prince Adewole Adebayo, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
He said Adebayo’s political charisma, image and personality within the Nigerian political environment has presented him as an obvious force to deal with in 2027.
He emphasised that apart from that, he is the only presidential candidate who has consistently maintained a media campaign against the failed and unpopular policies of the current government.
“So, Nigerians are very conversant with Adebayo’s voice, charisma and leadership qualities. So, whether you mobilize the whole politicians into the SDP, you must resolve the question of Adebayo in the SDP as a presidential candidate before any other person.
“This is because nobody has promoted the SDP in Nigeria like Adebayo. After Chief MKO Abiola, you rank Adebayo in the contemporary SDP as the highest. So, the concern as some people are expressing is normal. Human beings entertain such fears but the reality is that the name SDP since 2023 has been sustained unilaterally by the doggedness, commitment, dedication and selflessness of Prince Adebayo.
“So, he is a force to beat in whatever political arrangement that the SDP will put on ground to produce a presidential candidate. He is a patriot who did not join politics for himself; he has surrendered the rest of his life to the service of humanity and he did that at his 50th birthday.
“So, he is not into politics because it must be him; he is into politics to ensure that good governance, justice, the rule of law, equity and fairness is reintroduced and reinforced in the governance structure of Nigeria. So, even if he lost in a free, fair, and transparent electoral process, he will still be a team player in the struggle for a better Nigeria,” he stated.
Also reacting to whether the SDP is still in the coalition talks, he said: “This question will better be answered by the leadership of the party because I can only speak from the perspective as somebody who is aware of the development in the coalition. I am aware that the coalition delegation met with the SDP leadership but I am yet to get the details of that discussion. I think that will be made public in due course but like I said earlier, I may not be able to say much about that.”
