The Social Democratic Party is preparing to take its message to voters nationwide while raising concerns that opposition parties are struggling to make themselves seen.
At the launch of the SDP’s National Campaign Council in Abuja, presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo alleged that opposition posters, flyers and billboards had been removed or restricted in Adamawa State and elsewhere. He warned that any obstruction of lawful campaigning could weaken democratic competition and deny voters access to alternative political ideas.
The allegations were not independently verified in the account. Adebayo called on political parties to be allowed to present their candidates and policies without intimidation, saying democracy depends on voters being able to hear competing views.
Alongside that warning, the SDP signalled that it intends to build its own campaign presence from the ground up. Newly appointed campaign coordinator Dr Tanko Yunusa pledged to organise supporters across the country, with structures reaching from wards and local governments to the national level.
Yunusa urged party members to set aside personal interests and work behind the SDP ticket of Adewole Adebayo and Usman Bugaje. He said the campaign would require unity, discipline and sustained mobilisation to turn support into electoral strength.
The appointment marks another shift in Yunusa’s political path. A former national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, he had earlier accepted a role as Peter Obi’s political adviser for Northern Nigeria. He later said he resigned from that post on October 30 to take up the SDP campaign position.
The party’s message at the Abuja event extended beyond campaign logistics. Speaking for SDP governorship candidates, Nasarawa candidate Mohammed Adamu Abubakar pointed to insecurity, poverty and limited access to healthcare as urgent concerns, particularly for rural communities. He urged voters to judge candidates by their plans to address those problems.
The SDP now faces a twin test: establishing a campaign that reaches voters nationwide and making its case for a different approach to governance. Adebayo’s concerns over campaign access add another question to the 2027 contest: whether opposition parties will have a fair opportunity to put that case before Nigerians.