Ex-APC Chair Blasts Party’s ‘Shameful’ Primaries, Pledges Future in SDP

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The immediate-past Chairman of Karu Local Government and former House of Representatives aspirant, Hon. Joseph Maisamari Kaura, has opened up on his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing a complete breakdown of internal democracy, discipline, and sincerity within his former party.

Kaura made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with journalists at his residence in Nasaka, Karu Local Government, on Thursday.

He said the APC’s failure to uphold fair practices, coupled with what he termed a "shameful" primary election, forced him and his large bloc of supporters to abandon the ruling party.

According to Kaura, he personally informed Governor Abdullahi Sule of his decision before making it public.

"Governor A. A. Sule was the first person I told about my intention to leave the APC," Kaura said. "He was overseas at the time. I raised three or four issues with him. He responded to two. But when I said I was leaving the party, he said nothing. That silence told me he didn't want me in the party anymore."

He expressed strong optimism about the SDP’s future, describing it as a movement with deep historical roots rather than a fledgling platform.

"It is not a new political party. What the former IGP is doing now is a replication of what MKO Abiola did in the past when he won his election," Kaura said, adding that the SDP has a marketable and capable governorship candidate for Nasarawa State whose empowerment track record speaks for itself.

Kaura maintained that if the APC had conducted proper and transparent primaries, he would have had no reason to leave. "Even Mohammed would still have remained in the party," he added.

He also accused the APC leadership of neglecting Karu Local Government despite its status as the local government with the highest number of registered voters in the state.

"The party has refused to set up a reconciliation committee to bring aggrieved members together. All they said was 'to hell with you.' I didn't decide alone to contest it was a collective decision with my people," he said.

Recalling his political efforts, Kaura noted that when he was appointed by former Governor Tanko Al-Makura as APC Minder for Karu in 2015, he led the party to victory in the area. "But since that year, the APC has never won Karu again," he stated.

While acknowledging Governor Sule’s broader developmental strides across Nasarawa State, Kaura expressed disappointment that Karu has been largely bypassed for impactful projects.

"My problem is: what has Karu done wrong to this government? Look at Panda Road it has been abandoned for decades," he lamented.

He called on all parties and supporters to ensure peaceful electioneering as campaigns officially begin on the 18th of this month.