With Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election about two years away, political permutations and combos have begun with actors looking for particular function autos among the many 19 registered political events within the nation to grasp their dream to occupy the Aso Rock, the nation’s seat of energy within the political capital metropolis of Abuja.
Contemporary political alignments have been activated in lots of circles with the Social Democratic Occasion (SDP) recording seven presidential aspirants already, based on the occasion’s Nationwide Secretary, Olu Agunloye.
“We’ve eight presidential aspirants; it could possibly be 10. Seven of them are on our platform,” the ex-steel minister stated on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Tv.
Although he didn’t point out the names of the aspirants, he stated the SDP can’t afford to lose any of the politicians to different events.
Agunloye stated loyalists of the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Occasion (LP), Peter Obi, have additionally approached the SDP to arrange the bottom for the ex-Anambra governor who’s but to formally declare his intention to hitch the occasion.
The SDP chieftain stated, “Obi’s individuals got here to us to say if Obi comes, would you are taking him? After all, we instructed them: ‘Sure’. I used to be in that assembly. A few of them are with us saying that they’re making ready the bottom however it’s important to be part of SDP. You can’t be within the Labour Occasion and be telling us Obi is coming with out becoming a member of us in any other case we are able to’t open our doorways for you.
“However Obi might don’t have any plan to return or he might wish to come. Folks do all of this however the place we stand is that we should do properly in our platform.”
Is SDP The New Bride?
Atiku, El-Rufai, Lawal, Coalition Of Political Leaders Reject State Of Emergency In Rivers#CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/v23AuG7l8V
— Channels Tv (@channelstv) March 20, 2025
Forward of the 2027 polls, talks about an inter-party alliance reached a climax on Thursday, March 20, 2025, when opposition arrowhead Atiku Abubakar, alongside Obi, ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, amongst others, introduced a coalition to oust incumbent Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose administration has been accused of mismanaging the financial system, with all-time excessive inflation and unprecedented value of dwelling.
The coalition is banking on the numerical power of the votes recorded by Atiku and Obi within the final ballot. In 2023, Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Occasion (PDP) and Labour Occasion’s Obi got here second and third respectively with mixed votes of over 12 million, greater than 4 million above the entire votes recorded by Tinubu who was declared the winner by electoral umpire INEC.
Instantly I left the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre the place we had addressed a joint press convention of the Coalition of Opposition Political Events by which we referred to as for President Tinubu to reverse the declaration of a state of emergency rule in Rivers State; I spoke to a former…
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) March 20, 2025
With a litany of court docket circumstances arising from intra-party squabbles and protracted management crises rocking the PDP and the LP, in addition to alleged maltreatment of some APC members, politicians within the three events appear to have made the SDP a darling.
SDP’s nationwide secretary Agunloye stated the occasion’s “gates are open. So, if all of them needs to return, we’ll take them”. However he rapidly added that the occasion gained’t permit the newcomers to displace the landlords however would discover a solution to synergise the 2 teams and discover their collective strengths for the curiosity of the occasion within the subsequent ballot.
He stated, “We is not going to permit individuals to return and sweep the individuals out from the place. We should synergise; we should maximise the alternatives as a result of these are individuals with a variety of expertise.
“No matter anyone needs to say about El-Rufai, you can’t take his expertise away, you can’t take his experience away, you can’t take his vitality away. And he has cash as a result of anyone who is ready to win elections has cash – whether or not he is ready to elevate it or has it from inheritance. So, it’s a plus that he joins the occasion however we should discover a solution to work along with him.”
He boasted that the occasion has a presence in all of the 774 native authorities areas in Nigeria and “those that wish to come should observe the sample that now we have”.
Which Zone Will get SDP’s Ticket?
On whether or not former vp Atiku plans to hitch the SDP from the PDP, Agunloye stated, “I’ve been listening to that Atiku is coming. Atiku and I are pals for the reason that time he was vp. He nonetheless spoke to me about one week or much less in the past; he didn’t say: ‘I’m coming’.”
He stated El-Rufai’s defection from the APC to the SDP boosted the occasion’s membership.
“I do know that (Hamza) Al-Mustapha has come as a result of he got here to the workplace to gather our membership card. El-Rufai has come and a few his former commissioners, and associates.
“A number of different individuals referred to as and stated they don’t know El-Rufai however as a result of he got here, they wish to come. I’m the secretary of the occasion. In case your identify shouldn’t be on our ebook, you’ve got come however you haven’t entered,” he stated.
He stated the SDP have to be organised and settle all the problems that may make the occasion’s efforts to be counterproductive within the subsequent election.
Agunloye stated the presidential slot of the SDP for 2027 is a fragile one which must be dealt with with tact due to the variety of pursuits.
“Simply think about Peter Obi, Atiku, El-Rufai, (Attahiru) Bafarawa come on the identical platform, it’s important to discover a steadiness,” he stated.
On whether or not the SDP would zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the southern or northern area, the official stated the matter could be deliberated by the occasion’s organ when it’s time.
“We have to strengthen all of the buildings in SDP. We have to protect the integrity of the SDP. We have to have a state of affairs the place everyone has his accountability. As a result of they’ve come, we’re not going to merge however we have to be sincere. It’s only once we deal actually that Peter Obi can sit down, Adewole (Adebayo) can sit down, Atiku can sit down,” he stated.
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