Chief Adewole Adebayo has been confirmed as the Social Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election after delegates unanimously adopted him at the party’s national convention in Bauchi on Saturday.
Adebayo ran unopposed for the ticket.
Delegates from all 36 states backed him by consensus, and the convention also elected new members of the party’s National Working Committee.
Speaking after his emergence, Adebayo said Nigeria was heading toward authoritarianism and political intolerance. He pointed to worsening economic hardship, insecurity, and poor leadership as evidence the country was drifting off course.
He criticized rising unemployment among young Nigerians, noting that many graduates couldn’t find jobs while access to basic healthcare and decent living conditions remained out of reach for millions.
“Why are Nigerians hiding from immigration officers in China when they have a country of their own? Why are other countries calling me a criminal when I have a country of my own?” he asked.
Adebayo also took aim at the political elite for seeking medical care and investing abroad while ordinary Nigerians struggled at home. He called it unacceptable that leaders buy property overseas while Nigerian women still give birth without proper healthcare facilities.
On insecurity, he raised concerns about alleged links between government actors and criminal groups. He questioned what he called the inconsistent relationship between security agencies and terrorists, arguing that Nigerians deserved a safer country and greater accountability.
Adebayo thanked Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed for hosting the convention despite what he said was pressure from unnamed forces to block it. He described Mohammed as a true democrat and a fitting heir to the political legacy of Aminu Kano.
He warned that Nigeria was sliding toward “one man rule,” and said multiparty politics and freedom of association were the only safeguards for democracy.
“The theme of my speech today is: use your freedom while you still have it to give meaning to multiparty democracy,” he said. “People say Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a one-party state. I say the real danger is one-man rule.”
Adebayo added that even members of the ruling All Progressives Congress were facing internal suppression, with key decisions reportedly controlled by a single individual.
For Nigeria to move forward, he argued, the country needs real political diversity and genuine ideological competition among parties committed to national unity and progress.
