The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Adewole Adebayo, has declared his readiness to drop his presidential ambition in the 2027 elections if a more capable candidate emerges within the party.
Adebayo, who featured on Channels Television’s Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Sunday, reaffirmed his commitment to Nigeria’s progress over personal aspirations.
He said: “Everybody knows that I have an aspiration. I’m working on it, but God is the author of tomorrow; we don’t even know who is going to be around in 2027.
“It is my prayer to God that if there is a person who God thinks is better than me to fix Nigeria’s problems, my ambition should not stop that person because we want a country that works.”
He assured Nigerians that the SDP would present a candidate that the nation could be proud of, one capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next general election.
He also stressed that the party would avoid divisive politics based on religion or ethnicity.
“What used to be an easy discussion—with religion and ethnicity—has become explosive now. So, we will not use the SDP forum to try to bifurcate our people into different zones.
“We want a system where, when we choose the SDP, there will be resounding joy beyond our party, and Nigerians will say: ‘Okay, finally, this platform has given the country a chance,’” he stated.
Adebayo’s comments come amid heightened political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
On March 20, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, among others, announced a coalition aimed at unseating Tinubu in 2027.
Critics of the current administration cite economic mismanagement, soaring inflation, and a record-high cost of living as reasons for the coalition’s formation.
The alliance is betting on the combined strength of opposition votes from the 2023 election, where Atiku and Obi collectively garnered over 12 million votes—four million more than Tinubu’s total.
However, both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) are grappling with internal leadership crises and legal battles, leading to speculation that the SDP could become a unifying platform for opposition forces.
Already, El-Rufai and his allies have defected to the SDP, while rumours persist that Atiku and Obi are considering a similar move, though neither has made an official declaration.
© Ripples Nigeria
