By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) for the 2027 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, at the weekend, declared that Nigeria was drifting toward “one-man rule,” warning Nigerians to defend democratic freedom before it is eroded completely.
Adebayo spoke in Bauchi shortly after emerging as the consensus presidential candidate of the party during its national convention attended by delegates and party leaders from across the country.
In a strongly worded acceptance speech, the former presidential candidate accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of shrinking democratic space, weakening opposition politics and attempting to dominate Nigeria’s political structure.
According to him, the 2027 election would represent a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic history and a battle to preserve multiparty democracy in the country.
“The little freedom we have is about to be taken away from us,” Adebayo declared.
“People have told me Nigeria is in danger of one-party rule. I said the real danger is one-man rule because that is where they are taking us”, he added.
He alleged that democratic institutions were increasingly coming under political pressure, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he claimed was no longer operating independently.
Adebayo further accused the federal government of interfering in the affairs of opposition political parties and intimidating political actors perceived as threats to the ruling establishment.
According to him, even members of the APC were no longer free within their own party structure.
“What we are doing here today, they cannot do it there. They wait for one person to choose everybody for them,” he said.
The SDP flag bearer also alleged that Tinubu was seeking political influence beyond the APC, claiming the president wanted to determine the leadership and direction of virtually all political parties in the country.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not satisfied to be the presidential candidate of APC alone. He wants to be the presidential candidate of APC, PDP, Labour Party, SDP and everybody else,” he alleged.
Adebayo described the convention itself as evidence that democracy and opposition politics remained alive despite what he called attempts to frustrate the party’s activities.
He commended Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for allowing the convention to hold successfully despite alleged pressure from unnamed forces to stop the gathering.
The SDP candidate said Nigeria needed strong opposition parties with different ideological beliefs but united in loyalty to the country and its constitution.
Calling on Nigerians to defend their democratic rights, Adebayo urged citizens to “use your freedom while you still have it,” insisting that the country could not afford political domination by any individual or group.
He also appealed to opposition elements across political, ethnic and religious divides to unite in confronting corruption, insecurity, injustice and economic hardship.
“Anybody who opposes corruption, insecurity, cheating and injustice is part of the real opposition,” he said.
Adebayo maintained that the SDP would contest and win the 2027 presidential election, while also targeting majorities in the National Assembly and victories in governorship and state assembly elections across the country.
He said the party intended to build a government focused on welfare, accountability, economic recovery and security, insisting that Nigerians deserved leadership committed to service rather than personal power.
