Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2027 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has kicked against the proposed deregistration of some political parties, describing the move as unconstitutional, anti-democratic and a dangerous threat to Nigeria’s democratic future.
Adebayo, in a statement posted on his X handle, said there was no constitutional, legal or moral basis for the suppression of opposition and alternative political platforms through government actions backed by court orders.
He expressed concern that the development was coming barely days after the country celebrated Democracy Day with fanfare, national honours and renewed pledges to uphold democratic values.
Although the SDP is not among the parties reportedly affected, Adebayo said keeping quiet in the face of injustice would amount to betraying the principles of democracy.
He therefore called on Nigerians and all lovers of democracy to rally behind the affected parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action People’s Party (APP), Accord Party (AP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
According to him, Nigeria’s vast ethnic, religious, cultural and ideological diversity requires the existence of multiple political platforms through which citizens can freely express their political aspirations.
Adebayo pledged support for the affected parties in their quest for justice and restoration through lawful means, insisting that no democratic platform should be denied the right to participate in the nation’s political process.
The SDP chieftain also called for constitutional reforms to strip the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the powers to register or deregister political parties, limiting its responsibilities to conducting free, fair and credible elections.
He proposed a system that would allow political associations to freely sponsor candidates, subject to statutory deposits, while parties that fail to secure a minimum percentage of votes would forfeit such deposits.
Warning against actions capable of overheating the polity, Adebayo urged political leaders to focus on strengthening democratic institutions and promoting national development.
He further pledged to personally support the affected parties in pursuing legal redress, offering himself to assist in challenging the decision through all legitimate and constitutional channels.
“No democratic platform should be arbitrarily denied the right to participate in Nigeria’s political process,” he declared.
The statement was signed by Pastor Ade Alabi, a member of the SDP Media Committee.
