The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Professor Sadiq Gombe, says the party remains strong, organised and united, with its structures from the national to the ward level intact ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gombe stated this at the SDP National Convention in Abuja, where he urged members to put internal distractions behind them and focus on strengthening the party for the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections.
He said despite the challenges faced by the party in the past, the SDP had remained committed to due process, its constitution, the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in conducting its affairs.
The National Chairman said the SDP was founded on social justice, equity, fairness, inclusion and equal opportunities, stressing that political power should be used to transform society, uplift the people and restore hope to Nigerians.
Gombe called on members to move from consultation to mobilisation by strengthening the party’s structures from the polling units to the national level, while intensifying the mobilisation of youths and women.
He also stated that the party had commenced capacity-building programmes for its officials in the Northern geopolitical zones, with plans to extend the training to the South.
The SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, said the party was determined to end poverty and insecurity and build a Nigeria that citizens could be proud of.
Adebayo said leadership was not about occupying public office, but about accepting the responsibility of solving the problems of the people, noting that Nigeria had sufficient natural resources to prosper.
He called for a National Assembly that would reflect the diversity of Nigeria, with lawmakers returning to Abuja from their communities to listen to the people and seek solutions to their challenges.
The presidential candidate urged SDP members to return to their communities and begin sustained door-to-door mobilisation, saying the party must win the hearts and minds of Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections.
The SDP Vice-Presidential candidate, Dr. Usman Bugaje, urged members to preserve the party’s identity, saying its strength should be measured by its ideas, integrity, honesty and capacity to provide solutions, rather than the influence of political “big men.”
Bugaje warned that Nigeria could not afford further political failure, stressing that the country needed innovative ideas, sacrifice and responsible leadership to overcome its challenges.
Chairman of the Forum of SDP State Chairmen, Femi Olaniyi, urged members to strengthen party structures in their respective states rather than depend on Abuja, while commending Adebayo for his financial and moral support for the party.
Representing SDP candidates for the National and State Houses of Assembly, Solomon Akwashika called for aggressive grassroots mobilisation to enable the party secure a strong presence in the National Assembly and state legislatures.
Speaking on behalf of the governorship candidates, IGP Mohammed Adamu urged supporters and state chairmen to return to their various communities, mobilise the electorate and support the party’s governorship candidates.
Also speaking, Prophet Isah El-Buba urged SDP leaders and members to remain steadfast, saying no amount of money was worth compromising their conscience.
He called for sacrifice and commitment to ending poverty and insecurity, particularly in Northern Nigeria, and urged the party leadership to remain disciplined, focused and non-sentimental.
