Adebayo dismisses SDP merger as Lamido urges rebuilding PDP
Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, Adewole Adebayo, has said the party cannot merge with oppressors. He declared that the party’s commitment to its core values and mission remains strong and that its independence could not be swayed by external influences.
This was as former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, called for political unity in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urging aggrieved members to return home and help rebuild the country.
Lamido dismissed SDP as the alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which was hitherto seen as an alternative to the ruling PDP. Adebayo, who spoke, yesterday, during an engagement with party members, reaffirmed SDP as a party with a clear vision for Nigeria’s future and had been consistent in its stance since its inception in 1989, advocating justice, progress and the welfare of Nigerians.
He was speaking against the backdrop of the recent defection of former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, from APC to SDP, and the claim of factional governorship candidate of PDP in Ogun State in the last general election, Jimi Lawal, that he paid for 30,000 membership party cards in the state.
“Anybody, who wants to join the SDP is welcome, but must learn our creed. We are not just for justice, but also for progress. As white as the horse is, so is our heart. We want the Nigerian people to regain what the late Moshood Abiola promised.
“Abiola promised fairway to poverty, he sacrificed his life for it, and people believed that Abiola meant what he said. So, anybody who wants to come to SDP now must first ask himself, can I make the sacrifice? If you can’t, don’t bother to come,” he posited.
Speaking on a possible merger with other political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections, Adebayo made it clear that the SDP would not compromise its values by merging with parties that do not share its commitment to the people.
“We cannot be on the side of the poor and the side of big men at the same time,” he stated. He also expressed his desire to continue leading the party in the future but hinged the decision on divine providence.
Speaking during the Ramadan Iftar gathering at his country home in Bamaina, Birnin Kudu Local Council of Jigawa, he emphasised the need for reflection and reconciliation in the face of the country’s economic and security crises, insisting that the type of democratic stability PDP provided eluded the ruling APC.
“This month is a time of worship, a time of prayer and supplication,” he said. “We are here not just to break our fast, but to renew our bonds of friendship and strengthen our political family.”
In a speech that touched on Nigeria’s turbulent political landscape, the former governor lamented the current state of the nation, citing rising poverty, insecurity, and leadership challenges. He criticised those who abandoned PDP for APC in 2014, only to find themselves disillusioned with the outcome.
He added: “The PDP was the foundation of Nigeria’s stability from 1999. Even leaders in APC, like Bola Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari, benefited from the structure and governance we put in place. Those who left in search of something better must now ask themselves: are we better off today than we were under PDP?”
He dismissed SDP as an emotional response rather than a viable alternative, arguing that its foundation as a government-created party under Ibrahim General Babangida meant it lacked a strong grassroots base.
“SDP cannot defeat PDP or APC; it is not built for that,” he stated.
Calling for reconciliation, he urged former PDP members in APC to shed any feelings of guilt and return to their political roots. He stated: “There is no shame in coming back home. Politics should not be driven by emotion or revenge. If we truly want to fix Nigeria, we must reunite and rebuild.”
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