The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo has emerged as the party’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

The Chairman of the party in Lagos moved a motion to adopt Adebayo as the consensus candidate at the ongoing national convention in Bauchi, the capital of Bauchi State. In addition, all the state chairmen also individually moved motions to the crowd where the majority endorsed Adebayo.

While speaking, the Convention Chairman, Prof. Usman Bugaje, lauded the participants across the country, while urging them to remain loyal to the party. He lambasted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Judiciary over what he described as being “tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians”.

He said that the party has survived “the hostile environment within which all opposition parties are struggling to survive and thrive. We are all too aware of the challenges: National institutions like the judiciary and the democratic institutions like INEC have become tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians, tossing them around like chess pieces.

“The attempt by the ruling party to block the political space and eliminate competition and opposition is the most despicable of all offenses today.

“Those in the ruling party, and those in INEC and those in the judiciary who are aiding and abetting this crime appear to be, not only bereft of character, but also bereft of history.”

Bugaje added that “only a quarter century ago, Late General Abacha with all his military might and vicious character like his chief security officer did what they could, detained who they could, killed who they could; yet could not get what they wanted. They don’t seem to have the mind to understand the lessons of history, for those who aided and abated ended their lives in ignominy. God is watching.

“Nigerians are watching and praying, and history is recording your despicable behavior and there are consequences either here or there or both. For us there is no going back, we believe that doing right at the right time, is the right thing to do. Doing otherwise is playing with God and certainly the Almighty is up to it,” he said.