The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has revealed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi are in talks to join the SDP ahead of the 2027 elections, with the aim of retiring President Bola Tinubu.
Adebayo made this known while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he disclosed that key allies of both men are already negotiating with the party. According to him, their potential defection would strengthen the SDP and help unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“People are joining my party (SDP) and we are welcoming them. You can see how active I am in welcoming them,” he said.
“The only little issue we have with some of them is changing the culture, especially if they have not been in an environment where rules are taken seriously.”
He continued, “Some of them are involved in boy scout-like activities and black market operations, but we are dealing with that.
“However, we welcome them into the party. We believe that they will strengthen the party. All these people you have mentioned; el-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, and even former governor Peter Obi, are coming. A lot of people are coming, and we will welcome them.”
Atiku and Obi were presidential contenders in the 2023 elections, running under the banners of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), respectively.
Their possible alignment with the SDP has sparked speculation about a united opposition front against President Bola Tinubu.
When pressed to confirm if Obi was indeed joining the SDP, Adebayo responded cautiously, saying it remained speculation until officially confirmed.
“Supposedly, until somebody joins, we don’t know,” he said. “But people have told me, and the financial secretary (SDP) has also informed me, that they are talking. So we will welcome everybody.”
He emphasised that the SDP maintains a culture of transparency and discipline, which new members must respect.
“Surely, when we come in, and we don’t become a tower of Babel; if we come in, follow the rules and allow one person to emerge transparently, clearly, without cheating, without criminality the way we did our convention in 2022, people applauded us transparently, no court case, no crisis, no allegations.
“If they can stick to our culture and follow the way we do in the SDP and produce a good alternative to Nigerians, we are going to manifestly defeat the APC and retire President Tinubu to Lagos or wherever he chooses in Nigeria,” Adebayo said.