By Charles Maduka
Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, says that Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are in talks to join his party.
Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ programme, Adebayo said the alliance would defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) and send President Bola Tinubu into retirement in Lagos.
Atiku and Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) respectively. Lately, their frequent public appearances together have raised speculation that they may be planning to defect from their current parties. Both men have, however, denied these rumours and said they are loyal to their political parties.
But on Sunday, Adebayo said their allies are already in talks with the SDP, and that he had been informed Obi is planning to join.
“People are joining my party (SDP) and we are welcoming them. You can see how active I am in welcoming them,” Adebayo 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. 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.”
When asked if Obi is really joining the SDP, Adebayo said: “Supposedly, until somebody joins, we don’t know. But people have told me, and the financial secretary (SDP) has also informed me, that they are talking. So we will welcome everybody.
“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.”
Over the weekend, Tope Fasua, special adviser on economic affairs to the president, said Tinubu would not be removed in 2027, describing the opposition as “weak” and likely to be “frustrated.”
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