The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections, Adewole Adebayo, has said that President Bola Tinubu is working hard to ensure the easy defeat of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, April 8, Adebayo said the President’s anti-people policies and programmes would make him the last APC president.
“The people working hardest for the SDP to come to power are members of the APC-led government,” Adebayo said.
“They have turned the furnace fire on the backs of the Nigerian people. Nigerians are suffering just to get paid, and when they get paid, it cannot buy them food.
“They are making life difficult and taking decisions that do not favour the people. They are spending trillions on invisible projects.”
He continued: “We have a N55 trillion budget that doesn’t trickle down to the people. So, President Tinubu is working hard for us to defeat him and come to power.
“He is on track to become the last APC president because the government is failing to take care of the people.”
When asked about the party’s perceived lack of structure to challenge a formidable force like President Tinubu and the APC, Adebayo admitted that while the SDP may lack a conventional political structure, it would rely on the people to win.
“We don’t have any structure based on criminality, bribery, or diversion of public funds. We rely on the structure of the people,” he said.
Responding to suggestions that defeating Tinubu would be difficult without a credible coalition, Adebayo agreed but stressed that any successful coalition must be rooted in the will of the people.
“What won’t work is a coalition that doesn’t carry the people along. What we want is an alliance with the Nigerian people. That hasn’t been tried before,” he said.
He criticized the 2015 APC coalition, saying, “That was a coalition of politicians which only satisfied the politicians and left the people poor and disillusioned.”
According to him, “What Nigerians want now is a coalition with a clear ideology and transparent rules. Once our intention to truly serve the people is clear, they will give us a chance. It’s difficult but not impossible—we’re determined to make President Tinubu a one-term president.”
Adebayo also addressed rumours that Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi might be joining the SDP.
“Until he joins, I can’t say he is or isn’t. But his people are coming. My National Secretary has informed me that discussions are ongoing. I say, welcome everyone.”
However, he cautioned prospective members to abide by the party’s principles and avoid turning the SDP into a “tower of Babel.”
“If we follow the rules and allow candidates to emerge transparently—without cheating, bribery, or manipulation—Nigerians will trust us. That’s what happened in our 2022 convention: It was transparent, with no court cases or crises.”
He concluded, “If others can adapt to our values and culture, and we present a viable alternative, we will defeat the APC and retire President Tinubu to Lagos or wherever he chooses, and begin to care for Nigerians from day one.”
