Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, presidential candidate of the SDP for the 2027 election, Adewole Adebayo, has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to ethical politics, insisting that the SDP remains focused on principles rather than vote-buying or campaigns built around ethnic and religious sentiments.
Adebayo said Nigerians are increasingly interested in ideas and policies that can improve governance, adding that the SDP has continued to enjoy support because of its history and grassroots presence across the country.
According to him, the party’s popularity is rooted in its longstanding connection with Nigerians and its contribution to the country’s democratic development. “Those are the ideas that Nigerians are interested in, and SDP happens to be a party that’s popular with Nigerian people. It’s because of SDP that we have this June 12 Democracy Day, and we have grassroots,” Adebayo said.
The SDP presidential candidate, however, acknowledged that the party’s strict adherence to ethical standards has often presented challenges in Nigeria’s political environment, particularly when competing against opponents who may not be bound by similar rules. “The only problem we’ve had in the past, and if the policies continue like this, we will have it, is that we are an ethical political party,” he stated.
Adebayo stressed that the party does not engage in vote-buying, describing the practice as contrary to its values and principles. “We can’t buy votes. It’s infradignitas. We can’t do that. We cannot buy votes,” he said.
He also ruled out any form of political mobilisation based on ethnic or religious considerations, maintaining that such approaches have no place within the SDP. “We can’t campaign on ethnicity and religion. So you can’t come to SDP and say, it’s the turn of my people or the turn of my religion. We’ll kick you out immediately,” Adebayo declared.
The former presidential candidate further emphasized the party’s commitment to transparency and accountability, noting that individuals seeking to undermine its internal processes or introduce questionable funds would not be tolerated. “You can’t come and corrupt our system. You can’t bring money that we cannot defend to our party, and you can’t break our rules,” he said.
Adebayo concluded that maintaining a disciplined political structure often places the SDP at a disadvantage against less disciplined competitors in the short term, but suggested that the party remains committed to preserving its standards and principles. “In this kind of stricture, this kind of disciplined environment, those who are indisciplined in the short term gain an advantage,” he added.
