Ogunkolade Tosin
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has distanced itself from the proposed ‘rainbow coalition’, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to infiltrate opposition parties and weaken their ranks ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, stated this on Thursday in Abuja while addressing journalists after an engagement with the party’s nine governorship candidates from different states.
Gombe said the SDP had no interest in joining any arrangement that would compromise its political identity or align its candidates with the ruling party.
He alleged that the APC, having lost the confidence of Nigerians over its governance record, was using the proposed coalition to woo members of opposition parties and undermine their unity.
“I want to assure you that SDP, as a political party, has nothing to do with anything called rainbow coalition.
“We are with other political parties in the opposition, doing everything possible to rescue our dear country through a coalition of the Nigerian people.
“We are not into any rainbow coalition where we will have candidates here and profess support for the APC presidency. We are SDP and we are for SDP candidates,” he said.
Gombe said the party had also resolved to discipline any member who engaged in the proposed arrangement without its authorisation.
He said the meeting with the governorship candidates was part of preparations to strengthen the party’s electoral strategies and improve its chances in the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the engagement provided an opportunity for candidates from different states to share experiences, identify gaps and develop strategies for winning elections at national and state levels.
Gombe said the SDP was committed to presenting what he called a credible alternative to Nigerians, citing its presidential and vice-presidential candidates, Prince Adewale Adebayo and Dr Usman Bugaje.
He urged Nigerians to assess the party’s candidates based on their competence, capacity, character and patriotism.
The chairman also pledged the party’s support for credible elections, saying it would collaborate with other opposition parties on election monitoring, agent training and the establishment of joint situation rooms.
“We will be our own INEC at the polling units and our own security to ensure free, fair and credible elections come 2027,” he said.
Gombe, however, raised concerns over the alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish the names of some of the party’s candidates, saying the matter was already before the court.
He accused the commission of failing to recognise the party’s candidates despite what he said was compliance with the Electoral Act, the Constitution and the SDP’s internal nomination procedures.
He also condemned what he called attempts to disqualify the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, arguing that political parties should be allowed to freely present candidates for elections.
Gombe called on the judiciary, security agencies and INEC to remain impartial and protect the country’s democratic process.
He also raised concerns over issues relating to the voters’ register and the creation of polling units, warning against actions capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
Earlier, the Chairman of the SDP Governors’ Forum and Nasarawa governorship candidate, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu, said the meeting was aimed at developing strategies to secure victory in the presidential, governorship and legislative elections.
Adamu said the candidates had shared experiences from their respective states and discussed ways to address organisational gaps ahead of the polls.
He expressed confidence that Nigerians were seeking an alternative to the APC-led government, adding that the SDP would prioritise the welfare and living conditions of citizens.
The nine governorship candidates at the meeting were from Nasarawa, Oyo, Benue, Niger, Adamawa, Plateau, Kano, Gombe and Bauchi states.
