Former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has described the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a gathering of sinners, noting that politicians defecting to the party from other platforms are only seeking forgiveness for their numerous sins.

Dalung, who spoke in an interview with journalists, recalled a past statement by former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, that no matter the gravity of a politician’s sins, they would be forgiven as soon as they join the APC.

“These are people who have committed heinous crimes against the Nigerian people, and they are jumping into the APC ship for the forgiveness of their sins. Not that they believe in Tinubu, no; they do not. They are only assembling so that their sins will be forgiven.

“So, it is a conclave of political cardinals who have committed grave sins against the Nigerian people, and a political party has offered them the opportunity of forgiveness on entrance,” he said.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain added that the defections would not add any value to the President Bola Tinubu administration, but would instead create problems for the party in future.

“You know, there is an adage in Hausa that if animals celebrate the death of a butcher, has the knife also died? If beneficiaries of the mandate of the people are defecting, have the people also defected?

“So there is no value added to Tinubu except that he has compounded the situation in his party, and there will be an implosion,” he added. Dalung dismissed concerns in certain quarters that the entrance of politicians like the former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, into the SDP could be a potential threat to the presidential ambition of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo.

He said Adebayo’s political charisma, image and personality within the Nigerian political environment have presented him as an obvious force to deal with in 2027.

According to Dalung, Adebayo is the only presidential candidate who has consistently maintained a media campaign against the unpopular policies of the current government.

“So, Nigerians are very conversant with Adebayo’s voice, charisma and leadership qualities. So, whether you mobilise all the politicians into the SDP, you must resolve the question of Adebayo in the SDP as a presidential candidate before any other person. This is because nobody has promoted the SDP in Nigeria like Adebayo,” he noted.