Solomon Dalung, a former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, has disclosed the reasons behind his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), shedding light on his personal disillusionment with the APC leadership and its approach to governance.
In an interview with Punch newspaper, Dalung explained how his experience with the APC, particularly his interactions with the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, led to his resignation and eventual shift to the SDP.
Dalung recalled his appointment as Director of Contact and Mobilisation for the APC’s Strategic Campaign Council in 2022, a role that placed him directly in contact with Bola Tinubu.
READ ALSO: Biafra: Again, Nnamdi Kanu Denies Terrorism Accusations by Nigerian Govt
However, after a 30-minute conversation with Tinubu, Dalung said he realized that the presidential candidate was unable to comprehend much of the discussion.
“I was appointed a Director of Contact and Mobilisation by the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in 2022 in the Strategic Campaign Council. I later met him for 30 minutes, and I discovered that he couldn’t comprehend anything from our discussion. So, I warned myself that having campaigned and brought Muhammadu Buhari to power, Nigerians were crying of failure. I couldn’t continue with that with the evidence before me,” Dalung stated.
He further explained that after this disappointing meeting, he resigned from his position on the Strategic Campaign Council, which Babachir Lawal chaired, and also resigned from the APC entirely.
Having assessed the political landscape, Dalung expressed his belief that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) was the party that held the most promise for the future of Nigeria.
“After assessing all the political parties, I was convinced that SDP is a party that I would associate with because it stands to hold the future,” he said.
Dalung joined the SDP in 2022 and contested the 2023 National Assembly election for the Langtang North/Langtang South Constituency.
However, despite gathering substantial evidence of irregularities by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dalung decided against going to court, expressing doubts about the possibility of achieving justice through the current legal system.
“I contested the 2023 National Assembly election for Langtang North/Langtang South Constituency. But when INEC did what they did, despite that I had evidence, I decided not to waste my time going to court, because I was not too sure that from the drama they performed, anybody could get justice in the court,” he said.
Dalung also took aim at the current state of Nigerian politics, which he described as a “kakistocracy” — a government run by the worst individuals for their own benefit.
He criticized the current system, claiming that Nigeria is no longer practicing true democracy but instead a system that caters to the personal interests of a few at the expense of the larger population.
“We are not practising democracy, but kakistocracy. What we have now is a government of a few for themselves, their personal interests, families, and friends,” Dalung said.
He welcomed those who joined the SDP, emphasizing the party’s commitment to changing the political landscape and sanitizing Nigerian politics.
