SDP Teams Up With Tinubu Despite Faction's Disapproval

At this time, politicking is very tough as political actors are trying to tick every box that will favour them. The Social Democratic Party SDP is the latest to ally with the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

The political space will certainly witness more before February 25 but SDP leadership's alliance with the APC at the centre comes with consternation from some quarters in the party.

Via a statement on Monday in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Muhammad, the party maintained that it has teamed up with the two-term governor's presidential candidacy.

The development opened up last week when a faction of the party denied a coalition with Tinubu.

But the party’s official spokesperson has remarked today that the much trumpeted Tinubu-SDP proposed alliance deal is real and unstoppable. 

Where does this leave Adebayo?

Nigerian Lawyer and Founder of the Kaftan Television Prince Adewole Adebayo is the elected presidential flag bearer of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the 2023 general elections.

Judging by our street tour across the Ibadan metropolis today, Adebayo might not be a front-runner at the presidential polls.

At the same time, he has been seen as one of "the most credible alternatives" to the two most dominant political parties. 

Goke Fadiran, a public affairs analyst told our reporter that Adebayo epitomises vibrancy and administrative competence.

"Have you listened to him talk? Very articulate and straightforward.

"It is a pity that this alliance has crumbled his chances", he said.

"In our darling country, the best always rest at the back seat because electioneering in the country prides on everything except right candidature.

"It is pathetic that even if his party brings all its resources to support him, he possibly wouldn't have won", he added.

It was just Friday night that he held a closed-door meeting with the former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He also interacted with sociopolitical groups, religious groups and the BBC recently.

This alliance is a dent in his morale.

SDP throws in the towel 

According to the leadership of the SDP, the party had been considering the alignment since 2020.

But when a party even doubts itself, its seriousness is questionable.

If the party has been thinking about teaming up with a presidential candidate even before it put forward its presidential candidate, then the party could be an "unserious family meeting" as described by a PDP chieftain who prefers not to be named.

Jerry Ganna not having his way 

“The agenda, which is known and popular amongst the elected (not appointed)  national executive members of the SDP and stakeholders is not well known to the denying Jerry Gana boys because they are strangers who joined the party just ‘yesterday’ along with Jerry Gana who has since returned to PDP but stayed behind to allegedly destabilise our party and thus knows little or nothing about the party’s structures and agenda", today's statement reads. 

The spokesperson wants everyone to ignore any dint of resilience displayed by his faction.

He added, “We will address Nigerians on the subject fully shortly.”

Cutting the party some slack

The SDP could be an accidental political party which had zero presidential ambition because it realised it did not have the structure to compete with the bigger parties. 

Goke Fadiran maintained that "electioneering in Nigeria is a game of structure and numbers.

"I believe that SDP is not just trying to play to the gallery.

"They know they cannot win considering what is on the ground."

He furthered that it is sometimes honourable to play one's cards right than to lose at both ends or remain in a contest one knows he or she is likely to lose.

"The only loser in this political game is the presidential candidate of the party", Fadiran announced.