The leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its 2023 presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has expressed optimism that the party is prepared to offer Nigerians a credible alternative capable of steering the nation out of its current challenges.
Speaking on the party’s direction ahead of the 2027 general election, Adebayo said the SDP remains distinct from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as an independent party built on clear principles and integrity.
‘It is very rare to find a true SDP person who will have interest in the APC or the PDP because the idea of what they are doing is totally opposite to what the SDP is preaching,’ he said.
Adebayo noted that efforts were ongoing to strengthen the party and reposition it for the next election cycle, adding that leadership changes were being made to ensure greater accountability and discipline among members.
‘When I ran for president, there were elements that worked against us in the party. There were party agents who would not show up and state chairmen who collected our agent card and then went and gave it to another political party.
‘I went to Kwara and discovered that from our research sheets, we scored 122,000 votes, but they recorded only 22,000 for us. Those who were supposed to defend our votes thought they could have a relationship with the ruling party, and that messed things up. So, we’re changing those leaderships and bringing in new people,’ he revealed.
The SDP leader said the party was focused on building a structure rooted in patriotism and selflessness.
‘It takes a while to get a political party whose majority of members will be people that are selfless, patriotic and in politics because they want nothing other than a better country. That’s what we are building in the SDP,’ he stated.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 65 years of independence, Adebayo lamented the country’s continued disunity, saying the nation’s formation lacked the philosophical and visionary foundation that united other countries.
‘If you study the history of some kingdoms and societies, you’ll find that even when they were divided, a great leader emerged to unite them,’ he said. ‘That’s not the history of Nigeria. Nigeria started accidentally. There were no great philosophers or great thinkers within our population who said, ‘Let us all come together. Let me unite the people.”
Adebayo traced the roots of Nigeria’s disunity to its colonial origins, explaining that the country began as a trade zone under the Royal Niger Company before being merged by the British for administrative convenience.
‘So, Nigeria started merely as a trade zone, just like you have a free trade or export processing zone,’ he explained. ‘It was a business arrangement handed over to the British government to manage as a protectorate and colony. In 1914, they decided to amalgamate the territories, and 46 years later, they handed them over to local leaders who were united only by their indigenous identity.’
He said early nationalist leaders such as Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Ahmadu Bello took charge of an inherited structure that lacked unity of purpose, a challenge the SDP now seeks to address through value-based politics and people-focused leadership.