Atiku, Obi, Otti’s Loyalists in Talks to Join SDP — Says Ex-Presidential Candidate Adewole Adebayo | #NwokeukwuMascot

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…as SDP moves to position itself as a formidable third force ahead of 2027 | #NwokeukwuMascot

In what could dramatically reshape Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has revealed that key loyalists of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party (LP) standard-bearer Peter Obi, and Abia State Governor Dr. Alex Otti are currently in discussions to join the SDP.

Adebayo made the revelation while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he confirmed that strategic realignments are underway, with high-level consultations ongoing between several top politicians and the SDP. He also stated that the party recently welcomed a prominent APC chieftain, the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, into its fold — a development that signals a bold attempt by the SDP to become a serious contender in the next electoral cycle.

“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 where rules are taken seriously.”

While not confirming the final decisions of Atiku and Obi themselves, Adebayo said loyalists of both leaders, as well as those of Governor Alex Otti, have initiated talks. “All these people you have mentioned — El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, even former Governor Peter Obi — are coming. A lot of people are coming, and we will welcome them,” he noted.

When pressed on whether Peter Obi is indeed on his way to joining the SDP, Adebayo remained cautiously optimistic. “Supposedly, until somebody joins, we don’t know. But people have told me, and the Financial Secretary of the SDP has also informed me that talks are ongoing. So, we will welcome everybody.”

According to Adebayo, the SDP is committed to maintaining internal discipline and transparency. He said that any new entrants must embrace the party’s unique culture, which emphasizes fairness, meritocracy, and rule-based politics.

“If they can stick to our culture and follow the way we do things in the SDP — the way we conducted our convention in 2022, with transparency, no court cases, no crisis — and produce a good alternative for Nigerians, we will manifestly defeat the APC and retire President Tinubu to Lagos or wherever he chooses in Nigeria,” he added.

Peter Obi, who galvanized millions of mostly young voters in the 2023 presidential election and polled over six million votes, has consistently maintained that he remains in the Labour Party. Atiku, who came second in the election won by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, continues to hold sway within the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Governor Alex Otti, a former banker turned politician, was elected governor of Abia State under the platform of the Labour Party but has remained somewhat politically fluid, with many of his loyalists known to engage in talks with various political platforms.

While none of the aforementioned political heavyweights have publicly confirmed their defection, Adebayo’s comments have further fueled speculation that Nigeria may witness a significant political reshuffling in the coming months — one that could potentially realign power dynamics across the nation.

As the 2027 elections inch closer, all eyes will be on whether the SDP can truly emerge as a credible third force capable of challenging the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition PDP.

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