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Prominent political figures, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and allies of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, held a closed-door meeting with the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Abuja on Tuesday.
The private meeting, which took place at the SDP national secretariat, has stirred speculations of possible political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Notable attendees included Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, an ex-presidential candidate and former Chief Security Officer to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, and Otunba Segun Showunmi, a former spokesperson for Atiku.
Speaking on the gathering, SDP Chairman, Shehu Gabam described it as “a meeting of like-minded individuals” committed to connecting with others who share a vision for Nigeria’s progress.
Gabam stated, “There is no official statement from El-Rufai or any one of them about officially joining SDP. So, as I said, they are open to conversation and negotiations for a better Nigeria. It’s not about a political party; it’s about the future of Nigeria.
“We are looking for like-minded people who believe in the future of the country so that we can work together and uplift the individual standard of Nigeria.
“It’s not just them. The attention of the media only went to them. I have received a lot of dignitaries from different political parties in the office, discussing the way forward, how to stabilise the country, and how to offer productive, progressive advice to this government so that there will not be a crisis.
“Because once the government has a crisis, it affects every Nigerian. So, part of our responsibilities is to make sure we are not facing a crisis. When the time comes, we will decide what to do about other things.
“There is an ongoing conversation. When the time comes, we will arrive at a conclusion, and we will hold an official press conference. Once we agree on what we are going to do together, we will unveil it to all Nigerians. But at the preliminary stage, we are having our own social gatherings and discussing national issues.”
Gabam described the SDP as a responsible and respectable party that engaged in constructive opposition without provocation.
He said, “So, principally, that’s what we are doing. More like-minded people are already on board. So today, there are other heavyweights involved, with whom we are discussing. To me, it’s a normal thing, a normal routine that I go through in the office all the time.
“So, it’s a welcome development, not just for those of us that met, but for everyone willing to come on board. SDP is a responsible party by history and analysis, and we will continue to provide decent leadership for Nigeria.
“Our interest is our country first, above any other consideration. We want to have a peaceful country, a well-coordinated country, economic prosperity, political stability for investors, and so on.
“We don’t have any other objective other than that. So we are playing our role as an opposition party, just the way APC played its role and ousted PDP from power.”
