Two Nasarawa SDP Lawmakers Defect to APC as Speaker Seeks Automatic Tickets for Them

By David Odama

Two members of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly elected on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Hon. Musa Saidu Gude (Uke/Karshi) and Hon. Onarigu Onah Kana (Udege/Loko), have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau, Ph.D, announced their defection during Tuesday’s plenary in Lafia.

The Speaker commended the lawmakers for their “wise decision” to join the APC and appealed to the party leadership to grant them automatic tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“I want to appeal to the State APC to give the defected lawmakers a soft landing through automatic tickets ahead of the 2027 general elections,” Jatau stated.

He explained that the lawmakers’ decisions followed extensive consultations with stakeholders and constituents, adding that their move was influenced by Governor Abdullahi Sule’s developmental strides in the state.

Reading their letters of defection, the Speaker noted that Hon. Onarigu Kana cited the crisis rocking the SDP at the national level among his reasons for leaving, while Hon. Gude said he was inspired by the APC’s ideology, programmes, and policies.

In his reaction, the APC State Secretary, Mr. Yarius Dagusa, described the development as a welcome one, assuring the defected lawmakers of equal rights and privileges within the party.

Dagusa also cautioned APC aspirants, particularly those eyeing the governorship seat, against attacking one another on social media, urging strict adherence to the party’s constitution and electoral guidelines ahead of the 2027 elections.

Both lawmakers, Hon. Gude and Hon. Kana, reaffirmed that their defection was influenced by Governor Sule’s performance and consultations with their constituents. They expressed appreciation to the SDP for the platform that brought them into office and pledged continued dedication to purposeful leadership and the progress of the APC and the state.

Reacting to the development, the only remaining SDP member in the House, Hon. Solomon Yakubu Akwashiki (Lafia Central), maintained that while his colleagues had the right to defect based on personal convictions, he remained in the SDP.

“As I speak, I am still a member of the SDP in the state. I will continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to my people,” Akwashiki said, adding that he disagreed with Hon. Kana’s claim of a crisis within the SDP.

With the latest defections, the APC now controls 15 seats in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds 8 seats and the SDP retains 1 seat.