The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has said the party will not be inviting former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi to join its ranks.

Speaking in an interview on News Central TV on Tuesday, Adebayo noted that Obi was already familiar with the SDP and had engaged with the party in the past.

“Peter Obi knows about SDP very well, and it’s up to him to decide whether he wants to join or not. We only reach out to people who don’t know about the party.

“Obi is not new to us. He has interacted with the party before, and he understands it well,” Adebayo said.

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The SDP chieftain also took a jab at Obi’s history of switching political parties, saying he was experienced in that regard and would decide for himself if he wanted to leave his current party.

“You cannot teach Peter Obi how to change parties. He is an expert in that area. If he decides to come to SDP, the party will assess the situation. If he goes elsewhere, we won’t be bothered. And if he remains where he is, we also wish him well,” he added.

Adebayo further emphasized that the SDP is open to welcoming new members, including notable politicians like former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. He dismissed concerns that the influx of political heavyweights into the party could threaten his own presidential ambition.

“Our focus is on building a formidable political platform that addresses the concerns of Nigerians. Anyone who joins us will align with our manifesto and goals.

“We don’t speculate about politicians who are not in our party. Now that El-Rufai has joined, we can speak about him. If others come, we will also engage with them accordingly,” he stated.