AMID THE GROWING WAVE of defections to Nigeria’s Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Adebayo, speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on 14 March 2025, expressed unwavering confidence that he would clinch the party’s ticket, regardless of the influx of high-profile politicians joining the party. “Let us understand something. I don’t worry about that; everybody who is coming in knows I will run in 2027,” Adebayo asserted. He further criticised those who feel threatened by defectors, stating, “Any coward who will feel threatened by people coming to his party cannot be president.”
The Explainer gathered that Adebayo’s statement directly responds to fears that El-Rufai’s arrival could disrupt internal party dynamics and potentially challenge his presidential ambition. El-Rufai, known for his sharp criticisms of the APC and President Bola Tinubu’s administration, officially joined the SDP earlier this week and has since been actively courting political allies to solidify his position within the party.
Youth Coalition Rejects El-Rufai’s Defection
El-Rufai’s defection has sparked outrage within the SDP, particularly from the SDP Youths and Supporters Coalition. In a statement released on 14 March, the coalition’s president, Comrade Abdulsamad Bello, rejected El-Rufai’s entry, labelling him “unfit and morally unqualified” to be part of the party due to his “anti-democratic record” during his tenure as governor.
“We reject El-Rufai’s entrance into our party in its entirety. He has come not as a reformer but as an undertaker, seeking to bury the SDP before it even has the chance to grow,” Bello declared. The coalition further accused El-Rufai of attempting to destabilise the party’s leadership by pushing for the resignation of the party’s national secretary, Olu Agunloye. “Barely days after joining our party, El-Rufai is already pushing for a leadership change. This is a clear sign of his desperation to control the SDP and mould it in his own image,” the statement read.
The Explainer learned that tensions within the SDP escalated when El-Rufai’s supporters staged a demonstration at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja, demanding Agunloye’s resignation.
El-Rufai’s Social Media Strategy and Political Aspirations
El-Rufai’s move to engage directly with the electorate through social media has further raised concerns. The Explainer gathered that the former governor launched an official TikTok page, amassing over 200,000 followers within 24 hours. In his bio, El-Rufai described himself as an “accidental public servant, certified ruffler of feathers and deliberate SDP member.”
In a video post, he invited Nigerians to engage in discussions on political affairs and SDP activities. “This is my only and official TikTok page. Please join me for videos, comments and conversations on Nigerian politics, as well as the activities of our new party, Social Democratic Party (SDP). Welcome on board,” El-Rufai stated.
ALSO READ: “I’m Still APC Member”, Ex President Buhari says
The Explainer recalls that internal party conflicts following high-profile defections are not new in Nigeria’s political landscape. For instance, the APC faced similar tensions in 2018 when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the presidential election. Such defections often lead to internal fractures and power struggles, affecting party cohesion and electoral performance.
Data from Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shows that in the 2023 general elections, the SDP secured only 2.3% of the total presidential votes, with Adebayo emerging as a distant contender. Analysts argue that while El-Rufai’s defection could boost the party’s visibility, it also risks alienating the core supporters who view him as a political opportunist.
“Tinubu is going to be removed from power, that one is sure, and there would be an SDP president,” Adebayo stated.
