Former National Chair – man of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday insisted he was not considering leaving the ruling APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Reports at the weekend claimed that the ex-APC national chairman was among top leaders of the party, exministers, planning to join ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in the SDP.

El-Rufai last week announced his defection to the SDP as he expressed his disappointment with the APC’s leadership, accusing the party of straying from the progressive ideals of its founding members.

In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) pleaded with ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, erstwhile Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and other top politicians to join him in the SDP to defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027 presidential poll.

However, Odigie-Oyegun, 86, yesterday dismissed his reported plan to change parties. The former Edo State governor said: “l also saw the social media report the way you saw it.

“At 86 years l should not be talking active politics. “However, if there is need to rescue Nigeria and it is a mass movement l would not hesitate to participate.”