The National Executive Committee (NEC) of a faction of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), led by Chief Wole Adesina, has raised serious concerns over what it described as two troubling developments threatening the unity and credibility of the party.
In a statement released on Monday, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Mohammed, strongly condemned the influx of what he called aggrieved politicians trying to hijack the SDP platform as part of a desperate coalition seeking to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He warned that such efforts lacked a clear, transformative agenda for Nigeria.
According to Mohammed, “The influx of some aggrieved politicians in a desperate coalition to ‘send President Bola Ahmed Tinubu back to Lagos’ without showcasing any clear-cut alternative agenda for Nigeria’s transformation is unacceptable. The party is not for sale or lease to any group and will not be part of any anti-government plots or coalition that lacks a clear alternative agenda for Nigeria’s transformation.”
Mohammed stressed that the SDP under Adesina’s leadership would continue to engage the federal government constructively while holding it accountable, but would not participate in any activities aimed at destabilising the country or undermining the electoral mandate given to Tinubu in the 2023 general elections.
The Adesina-led NEC further accused unnamed individuals and factions of attempting to replace constitutionally recognised state executives of the party. The statement condemned what it described as illegal actions coordinated by members of the opposition and a rival SDP faction.
The committee urged party leaders and members across the country to stand firm and resist any moves to undermine their authority. “We call on SDP leaders at all levels to resist any attempt to usurp their leadership and report such actions to the appropriate authorities. At the same time, our doors remain open to genuinely intentioned new members,” Mohammed said.
The faction also called for calm among its supporters, revealing that efforts were underway to reclaim full recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which currently recognises a different faction of the party.
Drawing historical parallels, the committee compared the current crisis to events in 2019, when a wave of defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Professor Jerry Gana, allegedly tried to take over the SDP’s leadership structure. That episode, the statement said, led to the resignation of then National Chairman, Chief Olu Falae, and triggered a series of legal battles that have yet to be fully resolved.
This internal crisis comes amid a politically tense period, with several opposition figures voicing strong criticism of the Tinubu administration. Last week, Professor Pat Utomi clarified that his proposal for a shadow government was not an attempt to overthrow the president but to provide constructive policy alternatives.
While the SDP remains one of the older political parties in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, it has faced repeated internal divisions and legal challenges that have limited its electoral impact in recent years. The current crisis, if unresolved, may further weaken the party’s prospects ahead of future elections.
