Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has revealed that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is currently in discussions with prominent figures, including former ministers and senators, as part of a strategy to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
In an interview with Punch on Sunday, Dalung disclosed that these discussions involve significant political figures from across the country, but he emphasized the need to protect their privacy at this stage.
He confidently stated, “We are in discussion with many people across the country, including former ministers and senators… There is a large number of the political class from across the political parties in Nigeria who are interested in joining the SDP.”
Naija News reports that Dalung highlighted that the SDP is now being seen as a key player in Nigerian politics, not due to its emblem of a white horse, but because it stands for justice.
“SDP is now a bride in Nigerian politics… because it is a party of justice,” he said, drawing attention to the party’s historical role in uniting Nigerians. He pointed to the missed opportunity in 1993 when the election was annulled, and Nigerians were deprived of the chance to vote for a party that could have offered a better future.
Dalung further critiqued Nigeria’s political trajectory, noting the 16 years under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the subsequent 10 years under the APC. He argued that Nigeria has deviated from its potential and needs to retrace its steps.
“Democracy in Nigeria will not get anywhere until we go back to where we missed our steps. We should retrace our steps,” he added.
According to Dalung, the SDP’s vision of prosperity remains clear, and he emphasized that the party is committed to eradicating poverty and creating an egalitarian society.
“Nigerians are elated to join the SDP because it was where their hope was squandered. Abiola campaigned with ‘farewell to poverty,’ and since they annulled the election, all political ideologists have welcomed poverty into Nigeria,” Dalung stated.
Resentment Towards President Tinubu
Dalung also expressed strong dissatisfaction with President Tinubu’s handling of the country, particularly in relation to the fuel subsidy removal.
He pointed out that Tinubu’s presidency lacks widespread support, explaining that the president was elected with only 36% of the vote, making him the first Nigerian president to assume office without securing at least 60% of the vote.
He questioned why the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not call for a rerun after the election, despite the low voter support for Tinubu.
“In a normal democracy, INEC should have gone for a rerun, but the electoral body never did. Instead, INEC declared Tinubu the President,” Dalung said.
Dalung continued, criticizing Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal, describing it as a major misstep. He stated, “The fuel subsidy removal has a monumental effect on the lives of the people of Nigeria. People have been crying across the country… In his maiden presidential chat, the President said he had no regret whatsoever.”
He accused the president of declaring “war against Nigeria,” especially against the common people.
Dalung refrained from directly labelling the political opposition as “gangs,” but he suggested that the growing dissatisfaction with the government has driven political leaders to attempt to salvage the situation.
He said, “The political leaders are just trying to manage the disaster and catastrophe that will befall this country… if they do not rescue democracy by giving Nigerians an alternative, the country will degenerate into anarchy.”
He concluded by acknowledging the widespread hunger, anger, and poverty in the country, asserting that these issues are the root cause of the growing political unrest.
“People are hungry and angry at the same time. People are poor and getting poorer. That is the problem,” he said.
The post ‘We Are Discussing With Senators, Former Ministers’ – Dalung Speaks On Alignment Against Tinubu appeared first on Naija News.