Tinubu must not win 2027 presidential election — Adebayo
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, has stated that neither he nor Bola Ahmed Tinubu must necessarily emerge victorious in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that Nigeria itself must be the ultimate winner.
Adebayo made the remarks on Thursday during an Iftar gathering attended by leaders of the party and other opposition figures in Abuja.
PulseNets learned that the SDP chieftain expressed concern over comments earlier made by President Tinubu during a separate Iftar hosted at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, stressing that political leaders must always remember that ultimate authority rests with God.
Speaking further, Adebayo noted that the position conveyed to the president by the delegation of the Inter-Party Advisory Council reflects the views held by both himself and the Social Democratic Party.
PulseNets learnt that Adebayo disagreed with suggestions that Nigerians could simply decide whether or not to participate in elections, arguing that such a notion contradicts the spirit of the nation’s democratic framework.
According to him, the Nigerian constitution places a responsibility on leaders to encourage citizens to actively participate in the democratic process.
“The president has a duty, just as I have a duty, to ensure Nigerians are motivated to vote and participate in the democratic process,” he said.
Adebayo further emphasised that the 2027 general election should record one of the highest voter turnout figures in Nigeria’s history, especially considering the current challenges facing the country.
“I will plead with President Tinubu: he doesn’t have to win the election, just as I don’t have to win. The only entity that must win is Nigeria,” Adebayo stated.
He also warned against any approach where those currently in power attempt to manipulate electoral laws or processes to favour themselves simply because they control a majority.
PulseNets reported that Adebayo urged the president to use the period of the holy month of Ramadan for sober reflection and ensure that Nigerians are allowed to determine the eventual winner of the next presidential election.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Sadiq Umar Gombe, said the responsibility rests on the government to listen to citizens and establish transparent electoral laws capable of guaranteeing free, fair, and credible elections that will produce good governance.
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Also speaking, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Yusuf Dantalle, called on President Tinubu to amend recently assented electoral laws in order to strengthen inclusive democracy in the country.
Earlier, PulseNets obtained a statement issued by Idris Adamu, Secretary of the SDP State Chairmen Forum led by Femi Olaniyi Ferrari, in which the group commended Gombe on his emergence as the party’s national chairman following his victory at the Supreme Court.
