- Safiu Kehinde
Former Nigerian lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has taken a quick swipe at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
NPO reported that El-Rufai had yesterday tendered his resignation letter from the ruling party while announcing his defection to the SDP.
The ex-Kaduna governor, who is a founding member of the APC, cited the refusal of the party leadership to address the unhealthy situation within the party as his reason for his exit.
Reacting to El-Rufai’s defection in a post on his X handle, Sani made mockery of the SDP’s white horse symbol, stating that even the white horses on Nigeria’s Coat of Arms are still to get to the top of the emblem.
“Even the energetic white horses on our Coat of Arms are still struggling to climb up after 6 decades.” Sani wrote.
Founded in 1989, the SDP is the oldest political party in Nigeria still in existence.
It is renowned for being the party under which late Nigerian businessman and politician, Moshood Abiola, contested for the June 12, 1993 Presidential election which was annulled by the then Military Head of States, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Babangida.
The age-long annulment of the election birthed Nigeria’s modern day democracy as it was considered the most free and fair election ever conducted in the country’s history.
The SDP can also be considered as the party where current President, Bola Tinubu, began his political career in 1991.
He contested under the party for Senatorial seat in 1992 which he won.