The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has stated that the party’s main focus is on winning the 2027 general elections, dismissing speculations that it is working secretly with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement, Adebayo emphasized that his attention is fully on the SDP’s official strategies and preparations for the upcoming elections, and not on political rumours.
“We don’t know the rumours and talk, but what I know is what the party is doing. I only participate in what the SDP is doing officially,” he said.
He admitted that while some individuals within the party might have sympathies or loyalties elsewhere, the SDP leadership is working to address such issues.
“What I find out is that people who are in political parties tend to have loyalty outside their political parties. I think it’s part of the problems we try to solve by bringing more ethical leaders.
All my politics, 100 percent of my own politics, is done inside the SDP. And this day and time, there is no way you could have a relationship with people that there won’t be evidence of it, either they will see you with them, you will take a photo with them, they will trace their money to you, or they will trace the activity to you,” Adebayo stated.
He added that the party would not hesitate to relegate or expel any members found to be working against its interests.
“There may be elements of people in the SDP who have sympathies for other parties as well, but what we intend to do is when we catch them, we relegate them or expel them,” he warned.
On Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, Adebayo lamented the country’s persistent governance challenges, particularly corruption and disregard for the rule of law, which he said have remained recurring campaign themes since independence.
He described this as unfortunate, noting that successive administrations have used corruption as a campaign tool rather than eliminating it.
Adebayo also attributed Nigeria’s structural problems to its historical foundation, stating that the country originated as a trade zone created for the interests of external powers.
“Nigeria started merely as a trade zone, just like you have free trade zones or export processing zones nowadays. That’s how Nigeria was to the Royal Niger Company. It was just a trade zone comprising different kingdoms and communities,” he explained.
Adebayo reiterated that the SDP remains committed to strengthening its internal structures and positioning itself as a viable alternative ahead of the 2027 polls.
