The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has declared that he will not step down for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the upcoming 2027 general election.
Adebayo made this known during a television programme.
Amid claims that the SDP could be included in a broader alliance to challenge President Bola Tinubu, Adebayo was adamant in stating that neither he nor Atiku has the authority to “use” the party.
“I will not [step down], and he [Atiku] has not suggested that anyone should step down. Neither I nor Vice President Atiku Abubakar can use the SDP. The SDP belongs to the Nigerian people. Nobody can use it.”
“What can happen is that individuals who now believe that the SDP is the right choice, and that their ideologies align, can join 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 anyone.”
“But if you think the SDP is something you can simply use, it cannot be used. What you can do is align with the SDP and respect its ideology and the work that has been accomplished by those who are already there.”
“If you want to join and contribute, that’s perfectly acceptable. But if someone is sitting at a distance wanting to use something, we are not available to be used,” the 2023 SDP presidential candidate asserted.
While he acknowledged Atiku’s stature and political experience, Adebayo added that the former Vice President has not directly reached out 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.”
“When he wants to join the party, he will come to us. Until then, we don’t discuss him, because he seems to know what he is doing — he has been running for president for over 32 years,” he remarked.
When asked whether he was aware of the coalition allegedly led by Nasir El-Rufai and Atiku to unseat President Tinubu in 2027, Adebayo said: “All of us want to unseat President Tinubu in 2027. In fact, I want to unseat him more than anyone else.”
Responding to suggestions that the coalition might be looking for a stronger contender due to doubts about his electability, the former SDP flag bearer stated: “I don’t know about that. Let Nigerian voters determine that. What I can assure you is that President Tinubu is not a match for the Nigerian people.”
When asked whether President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should be concerned about the rising political discourse and coalition efforts ahead of 2027, Adebayo replied: “There are serious discussions occurring that are not being reported in the newspapers. But they should be more worried about not serving Nigerians well. They shouldn’t be overly concerned about losing the elections; they should be worried about disappointing the people.”
He criticised the government’s performance, citing issues of insecurity and rising poverty throughout the country.
“The office of the President is not a monarchy. His political acumen should be translated into the welfare of the Nigerian people.”
“This is not a film — people are dying of hunger. There is insecurity. Every time the news is read, you feel disheartened because you want good news. If you have acumen, use it to improve the lives of Nigerians,” Adebayo concluded.
