Solomon Dalung
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung has described the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a “gathering of sinners,” alleging that politicians defecting to the party are doing so not out of ideological conviction but in search of political absolution.
Speaking in an interview with journalists, he referenced a past comment by former Edo State governor Adams Oshiomhole, who reportedly said that regardless of the severity of a politician’s past transgressions, joining the APC guarantees forgiveness.
“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,” Dalung stated.
He described the APC as “a conclave of political cardinals who have committed grave sins against the Nigerian people,” adding that the party has become a sanctuary for corrupt politicians seeking immunity.
Dalung, a chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), dismissed the idea that these defections would strengthen the Bola Tinubu administration, warning instead that it would create future instability within the party.
“You know there is an adage in Hausa that says: if animals celebrate the death of a butcher, has the knife also died? If beneficiaries of the people’s mandate are defecting, have the people also defected?
“There is no value added to Tinubu—he has only complicated the situation in his party. An implosion is inevitable,” he warned.
Responding to speculation that former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s alleged interest in the SDP could pose a threat to the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, Prince Adewole Adebayo, Dalung dismissed such concerns.
He said Adebayo remains the dominant political voice in the SDP, asserting that his charisma, media visibility, and consistent critique of the government’s unpopular policies have made him a formidable force ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Nigerians are very familiar with Adebayo’s voice, charisma, and leadership qualities. Whether you mobilise all the politicians into the SDP, you must first reckon with Adebayo as a presidential candidate. No one has promoted the SDP more than him,” Dalung affirmed.
The Guardian
