SDP praises Adebayo and leaders for loyalty after election loss

The Social Democratic Party has praised its 2023 presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and the National Working Committee for staying loyal to the party. They have also helped rebuild the party after losing the last general election.

The SDP National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, made this known during a press conference in Abuja. He also shared his belief that the party will present strong candidates for the 2027 general elections.

Adebayo was the SDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election. Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress won that election. The Independent National Electoral Commission, led by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, declared Tinubu the winner after the February 25 poll.

Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi from the Labour Party finished second and third respectively.

Reflecting on the party's journey since the election, Gombe said that the SDP survived many challenges. He noted that members chose to stay loyal to the party instead of defecting.

He said, "It took sheer hard work for us to be where we are today. If all political parties in Nigeria would remain in their party, fight their battle through legality, and attend to where they are supposed to be, we wouldn’t be where we are today."

Gombe continued, "Today, when a politician sees that he’s not going to make it to the position he wants to attend to, he would now move to another party. You find that they want to rule the country, yet they cannot remain in their political party and salvage the situation."

He added, "That is where the SDP stands out. We also have a presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, who is somehow second to none. He’s somebody who contested the election in 2023 and lost the presidential poll. But he didn’t join another party or lose interest. Instead, he was up and doing and started to rebuild in the party. He remains here with us."

Gombe also praised the members of the National Working Committee for sticking with the party. He described their loyalty as vital, especially since they faced attempts to destabilise it.

"Again, all the members of the NWC, aside from one or two, have also remained in the SDP since 2022. There is no challenge whatsoever that they didn’t pass through. Yet, they remain where they are because they are patriotic Nigerians who are committed to the rescue mission of their dear country."

He noted, "That is why we are where we are. Otherwise, we would have had a divided National Working Committee and those who wanted to hijack this party would have achieved their aim."

Gombe concluded, "But our members remain resolute, remain committed, not only to the party, but to the country. And I am sure posterity will one day be very kind to these gentlemen. So, I want to thank you all most sincerely."

Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, Gombe said the SDP is preparing itself as a strong option against the ruling party and other opposition groups.

"We also want to assure Nigerians that they will get the credible alternative they are yearning for in 2027, especially in the area of the presidential and governorship elections that will take place in Nigeria, the 109 senatorial poll, the 360 House of Representatives election and the 1,015 state constituencies that are going to be contested."

He assured, "I want to assure you that we in the party can present credible candidates as alternatives to Nigerians."