WHAT I DISCUSSED WITH EL-RUFAI – SDP CHAIR
The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Gabam, has opened up on his discussion with a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasir El-Rufai.
Gabam, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday, said his party has done nothing wrong in holding talks with ex-Kaduna governor El-Rufai.
“Why the dust about Malam Nasir El-Rufai? They say he is not significant, he’s nothing. Why the worry about El-Rufai? Why the worry about Segun Sowunmi? If they are important, why won’t the government give them the relevant roles they need to play to enhance the efficiency of the government?” he queried.
He said, “The meeting was to strategically review the situation of the country in 2024 as a party. We are an opposition party with elected members in the parliament, state assemblies, and in the local governments. So, we owe it a duty as a party to look at areas where things are not going right and open the space of the party and reach out to a lot of people.
“It’s the same things APC did when PDP was misbehaving; they re-organised, they regrouped, they relaunched a merger that led to the defeat of the PDP.
“So, we are not doing anything wrong. I don’t know why the brouhaha about it as if this is the first time Nasir El-Rufai visited or Segun Sowunmi who happens to be a friend. We’ve been in this struggle for a better Nigeria, not to undermine Nigeria.”
The SDP chairman said the ministers in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet don’t have the capacity to drive the president’s vision. He said Nigeria has never faced the economic hardship they are facing today.
“No president that was elected to serve four years and has issues in two years can survive. Jonathan’s opposition started within two years – he lost election,” Gabam said.