The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, on Saturday ruled out merger with the All Progressives Congress (APC) or other parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adebayo spoke in Abeokuta at a meeting with members of the SDP executive committee in Ogun State.
A former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung and the party’s chairmen in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos also attended the meeting.
He dismissed. claims that the SDP was an appendage of the APC.and reaffirmed the party’s commitment to welfare of Nigerians.
Adebayo said; “Maybe APC has appendicitis, they should go to the hospital to kill it. We are a strong party. We are older than any of the parties available. Our mission is clear: we are not in government with them.
“I led the party in the last election. I’m still standing here. I’m not a minister under Tinubu, all the State Chairman, the National Chairman are intact, National Secretary. So, we are standing on our own.
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“The reason people look down on us is because we don’t attack people to tackle issues, because our party is a party of intellect. We are the only party that’s a little to the left. Having been a little to the left since we came in 1989 we remain so.
“The problems of Nigeria can only be found with solutions on the left, which is that chapter two of the Constitution, invest money in education, in housing, in healthcare, good infrastructure, let Nigerians live what chief Obafemi Awolowo called a life more abundant.”
“Is there any kind of agreement between the two parties to make or to act together? Anybody who wants to join the SDP is welcome, except that you must learn our creed. We are for justice, and progress.”
A former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, dumped the APC for SDP about two weeks ago.
The party’s National Secretary, Olu Agunloye. claimed during the week that the former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, Vice President Atiku Abubakar and top politicians are exploring the idea of joining the SDP before the next national elections.
