Obi, Atiku will join SDP — we’ll retire Tinubu to Lagos, says Adewole Adebayo

Adewole Adebayo, presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2023, says Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are in talks to join his party.

Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ programme, Adebayo said the team-up would defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) and retire President Bola Tinubu to Lagos.

Abubakar and Obi ran in the 2023 presidential election on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) respectively.

Recently, Obi’s public appearances with Abubakar triggered speculations of defection. However, both men have repeatedly dismissed the rumours, affirming loyalty to their respective political camps.

On Sunday, Adebayo maintained that Abubakar and Obi’s allies are negotiating with the SDP, adding that he had reliable information indicating Obi is joining the party.

“People are joining my party (SDP) and we are welcoming them. You can see how active I am in welcoming them,” he 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.”

Pressed on whether Obi is really joining the SDP, Adebayo said everything is in the realm of speculation at the moment until a politician officially becomes a member.

“Supposedly, until somebody joins, we don’t know,” he said.

“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.”

During the weekend, Tope Fasua, special adviser on economic affairs to the president, said Tinubu would not be removed in 2027, citing the opposition’s “weakness” and “inevitable frustration”.