Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has unequivocally stated that he will not withdraw his candidacy for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Adebayo made this clear during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, addressing growing speculation about a potential opposition coalition.
Amidst claims that the SDP might be incorporated into a broader alliance to challenge President Bola Tinubu, Adebayo firmly asserted that neither he nor Atiku has the authority to “use” the party.
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“I will not [step down], and he [Atiku] has not said anybody should step down. Neither me nor Vice President Atiku Abubakar can use the SDP. The SDP belongs to the Nigerian people. Nobody can use it,” Adebayo stated.
He added, “What can happen is that people who now believe that the SDP is right, and that their ideologies align, can come to the party. Knowing that the party is open and democratic, they will want to come in and compete, because you have the best chance of competing in a system that hasn’t been bought over by anybody. But if you think the SDP is something you can just use — it cannot be used. What you can do is ally with the SDP and respect its ideology and the work that has been done by those who are already there. If you want to join and contribute, that’s fine. But if someone is sitting somewhere and wants to use something, we are not available to be used.”
While acknowledging Atiku’s political stature, Adebayo noted that the former Vice President has not directly contacted him regarding coalition discussions.
“I must respect Atiku, but what is clear is that people are speaking on his behalf. He knows what he wants to do, and he has access to us. We don’t need a third party to tell us what he wants to do,” Adebayo said. “When he wants to join the party, he will come to us. Until then, we don’t discuss him, because he appears to know what he is doing — he has been running for president for over 32 years.”
When asked about his awareness of a coalition reportedly led by Nasir El-Rufai and Atiku to unseat President Tinubu in 2027, Adebayo responded, “All of us want to unseat President Tinubu in 2027. In fact, I want to unseat him more than anyone else.”
Regarding suggestions that the coalition might be seeking a stronger contender due to doubts about his electability, the SDP flagbearer replied, “I don’t know about that. Let Nigerian voters determine that,” adding that “what I can tell you is that President Tinubu is not a match for the Nigerian people.”
Adebayo also commented on whether President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be concerned about the growing political talks and coalition moves.
He stated, “There are serious discussions going on that are not on the pages of newspapers. But they should be worried first about not serving Nigerians well. They shouldn’t be too worried about losing the elections; they should be worried about disappointing the people.”
He further criticized the government’s performance, citing widespread insecurity and rising poverty. “The office of the President is not a monarchy. His political sagacity should be translated into the welfare of the Nigerian people,” Adebayo asserted. “This is not a movie — people are dying of hunger. There is insecurity. Every time the news is read, you feel sad because you want good news. If you have sagacity, use it to run the lives of Nigerians.”
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