The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has revealed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi are in discussions to join the SDP. Adebayo made this known during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
According to Adebayo, the conversations are part of a broader wave of political movements ahead of the 2027 general elections. He stated that several influential politicians are seeking alignment with the SDP, a party he described as ready to accommodate leaders who are committed to political discipline and reform.
“People are joining my party, and we are welcoming them,” Adebayo said. “You can see how active I am in welcoming them. The only little issue we have with some of them is to change the culture—especially for those who have not been in an environment where rules are taken seriously.”
This development comes shortly after the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP. El-Rufai’s move has sparked renewed attention toward the party as a potential third force in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Adebayo emphasized that while the SDP is open to new entrants, there is a strong need to maintain order and ethical standards within the party. “Some of them are doing some Boy Scouts, black market operations, we are dealing with that. But we welcome them into the party,” he remarked, referring to political tactics he believes are not in line with SDP’s principles.
On whether Peter Obi is officially joining the party, Adebayo said discussions are ongoing but no formal confirmation has been made yet. “Supposedly, until somebody joins, we don’t know. But people have told me, and the Financial Secretary has also informed me, that they are talking. So we will welcome everybody,” he explained.
Adebayo further stressed the importance of unity and transparent leadership within the party, noting that the SDP’s internal democratic practices set it apart. “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. No court case, no crisis, no allegations.”
