Adewole Adebayo, a former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has made it clear that the party is not aligning with current opposition coalition efforts ahead of the 2027 elections.
Instead of elite-driven political arrangements, Adebayo is pushing for a strategy rooted in citizen engagement, particularly among Nigerians who have largely stayed away from the electoral process.
According to a statement from his media team, he believes many of the ongoing coalition discussions lack the structure, credibility, and shared principles required to make a real impact.
“Strategic partners in an election are not necessarily politicians. The real partners are segments of society, those who have not been participating in the process,” he said.
He pointed to widespread voter apathy as a major obstacle, highlighting that a significant portion of registered voters did not take part in the last election cycle.
“If you want to have a coalition, you must find where the 80 per cent who didn’t show up are and address why they stayed away,” he added.
Adebayo also cautioned against alliances built without accountability, warning that such moves could further weaken public trust in the political system.
While confirming that the SDP has engaged in discussions with other parties, he noted that many of those talks failed due to internal instability within those groups.
Rather than pursuing traditional political deals, the party is focusing on building what he described as a “civic coalition” one that draws strength from grassroots movements, professionals, and everyday citizens.
“Our kind of coalition is when civic groups and ordinary Nigerians begin to show interest,” he said.
He added that formal political alliances may only make sense after party primaries are concluded.
For Adebayo, the objective goes beyond electoral victory; it is about establishing a system of governance grounded in accountability and clear principles.
