Adewole Adebayo, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has declared that President Bola Tinubu will not remain in power beyond the 2027 elections.
Adebayo made this statement during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Friday, where he expressed strong confidence in his party’s ability to take over leadership.
“Tinubu is going to be removed from power, that one is sure, and there would be an SDP president,” he said.
Adebayo, who remains a key figure in the SDP, also confirmed his intention to contest for the presidency in the upcoming election. He stated that despite the political influence of some new members joining the party, he remains certain that he will be the party’s candidate.
“Let us understand something. I don’t worry about that; everybody who is coming in knows I will run in 2027,” he said.
His comments come shortly after former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai officially joined the SDP on Monday. Since his defection, El-Rufai has been engaging with other politicians, seeking to bring more members into the party.
However, Adebayo made it clear that he is not concerned about El-Rufai’s influence or any competition that might arise within the party. He insisted that a true leader should not feel intimidated by the presence of strong political figures.
“Any coward who will feel threatened by people coming to his party cannot be president,” he remarked.
Speaking further, Adebayo described El-Rufai as a capable leader and a dedicated politician. He noted that the former governor has demonstrated efficiency in governance, especially in areas where others have failed.
“The reason why I welcome El-Rufai to my party is that I see him as a patriotic Nigerian, hard working, very effective in an area where we don’t have effective people in government, that’s all,” he stated.
