By Nton Nton
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) concluded its National Convention on May 9, 2026, in Bauchi State with renewed energy and clear electoral ambitions, emerging with a newly elected National Working Committee and a firm resolve to position itself as a credible opposition force ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Delegates from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory converged on the venue, reflecting the party’s determination to build a broad and united front anchored on social justice, agricultural revival, and people-centred governance.
Newly elected National Chairman Prof. Sadiq Gombe struck a disciplined tone from the outset, framing his mandate as a responsibility rather than a privilege and pledging that transparency and strict adherence to the party’s constitution would define the new leadership era.
Alongside him, presidential flagbearer Adewole Adebayo — who again secured the SDP’s ticket for 2027 having previously represented the party in 2023 — painted a stark picture of the economic hardships confronting ordinary Nigerians, from families going without food to children out of school, the sick without healthcare, and citizens driven to desperate circumstances abroad despite having a homeland.
Cross River State’s SDP executive arrived in Bauchi as active and vocal participants. State Chairman Comrade Fidelis Akpanke made a notable impression on the convention floor by seconding Motion Number 6, which formally approved and ratified the party’s new appointments.
“I, Comrade Fidelis Akpanke, SDP Chairman Cross River State, with SDP membership registration number 0140050001, do hereby second the motion,” he declared — a moment captured on video and shared on the official Facebook account of SDP Cross River Publicity Secretary Bassey Nton Nton.
National Convention Committee Chairman Usman Bugaje delivered one of the convention’s most powerful addresses, cataloguing a litany of national challenges including insecurity, crippling fuel prices, crumbling infrastructure, unemployment, and deepening poverty.
He levelled serious accusations against the ruling party, alleging it had compromised both the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission to shrink democratic space.
He called on delegates to remain resolute, insisting that no sacrifice was too great in the mission to change the fortunes of Nigeria’s nearly 300 million citizens.
National Secretary Olu Agunloye used his address to highlight the party’s resilience, declaring that the SDP had successfully repelled attempts by what he described as “self-serving politicians” to hijack its internal structures, backed by four years of reform and legal victories against INEC over alleged unlawful interference.
Reminding delegates that the SDP is Nigeria’s second-oldest surviving political party, he vowed that every position on the 2027 ballot would be contested, describing the party as poised to emerge as perhaps the most credible political force in the opposition.
Voices from within the Cross River State delegation echoed the convention’s call to action, urging party faithful to carry the SDP’s message to every ward and community.
Speakers described the party as “the only pure political party not interested in recycling politicians who do not have the country’s heart,” and extended a warm invitation to young Nigerians to join and contest offices at all levels.
Publicity Secretary Comrade Bassey Nton Nton, speaking in a telephone interview, called on Cross River citizens and Nigerians at large to register with the SDP ahead of its 2027 mandate, providing enrollment links and contact details for interested members of the public.
As delegates departed Bauchi, a clear and unifying message resonated throughout the hall — this movement stretches well beyond a single election cycle.
The convention’s theme, *”Building a People’s Coalition to Secure Our Homeland and Defeat Poverty,”* underscored the party’s vision of agricultural revival as the true engine of national development.
For the Cross River State delegation in particular, the call to action was embraced wholeheartedly, with a collective pledge to take the SDP’s message from the convention hall to the grassroots, community by community, ward by ward.
