Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The chairman of the Social Democratic Party's 2026 national convention planning committee, Professor Usman Bugaje, has delivered a blistering broadside against the ruling All Progressives Congress, accusing the party of impoverishing Nigerians, weaponising state institutions, and systematically shrinking the country's democratic space as the 2027 general elections draw closer. Bugaje made the remarks on Saturday, May 9, 2026, while addressing delegates, party leaders and observers at the SDP's national convention and presidential primary held at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Memorial Stadium in Bauchi State.
The SDP chieftain, a former presidential adviser and ex-member of the House of Representatives, did not hold back in his condemnation of the ruling party. He alleged that the APC had "stolen the country high and dry" while ordinary Nigerians continue to battle insecurity, rising fuel prices, unemployment and a collapsed electricity supply that leaves many homes in darkness. "Congratulations for the courage of conviction and for standing out from a timid and spineless crowd running to take shelter in a ruling party that has stripped this country dry while leaving Nigerians in excruciating poverty and utter misery," Bugaje told the gathering.
The SDP convention chairman accused the federal government of deliberately shrinking the political space and employing state machinery to neutralise opposition voices ahead of the 2027 election cycle. He singled out the judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission for particular criticism, alleging that both institutions had been reduced to tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians. "National institutions like the judiciary and democratic institutions like INEC have become tools in the hands of unscrupulous politicians, tossed around like chess pieces," Bugaje said. "The attempt by the ruling party to block political space and eliminate opposition is one of the most despicable offences in a democracy."
Drawing a sharp historical parallel, Bugaje invoked the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha, warning that no authoritarian adventure, however ruthless, ultimately succeeds. "Only a quarter of a century ago, General Abacha, with all his military might, detained who he could and did what he could, yet he could not achieve what he wanted," he said. "History is recording the actions of those aiding oppression, and there are consequences either here or hereafter." The references to Abacha carried particular weight in Bauchi, a state that still bears memories of the brutal suppression of pro‑democracy movements during the 1990s.
Bugaje framed the SDP as a fresh alternative to what he described as a political establishment corrupted by elite interests and "deep pockets." He insisted that his party would offer Nigerians competent, energetic and morally sound leadership untethered from the failures of both the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party. "Our party may not have the big men and deep pockets that have defined Nigerian politics, but those same deep pockets are what brought the country to its knees," he argued. He called on professionals, religious leaders and young Nigerians to enter politics and resist what he termed the capture of the political space by destructive forces. "We are reaching out to courageous Nigerians who are ready to stand up to the rubbish our politics has become today," he added.
The SDP convention also produced major decisions setting the party's course for the 2027 elections. Delegates unanimously adopted Prince Adewole Adebayo as the party's consensus presidential candidate, reaffirming his role as the SDP's flag‑bearer after he had held the same position in the 2023 election. Adebayo was the sole presidential aspirant before the convention, and his candidacy was approved through a voice vote after being moved by the Lagos State chairman and endorsed by all state chairmen present. The motion to name him as the party's presidential candidate was moved by Lagos State Chairman Vincent Olorunpomi and seconded by Osun State Chairman Alhaji Ganiyu Olaoluwa. Accepting the nomination, Adebayo pledged to pursue people‑centred governance focused on economic recovery, job creation, security, education and healthcare, while warning against what he called the danger of "one‑man rule" under the current dispensation.
The convention also saw the election of a full National Working Committee for the party. Professor Sadiq Umar Abubakar Gombe, who had been acting as national chairman since 2025, was elected to the position on a substantive basis. Senator Ugochukwu Uba emerged as Deputy National Chairman (South), while Dr. Olu Agunloye was returned as National Secretary. Other national officers elected included Hajiya Mariam Maggie Batubo as Treasurer, Barrister Joseph Achile Abu as National Organising Secretary, Anaba Rufus Aiyenigba as National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Aderemi Abimbola as Legal Adviser, and Mal Bello Ado Hussaini as Financial Secretary. The party also elected Hajiya Sa'adatu Abdullahi as Women Leader, Honourable Daniel Ibe as Youth Leader, Rosemary Effiong as Welfare Secretary, and Chief Lekan Alabi as Leader of Persons With Disabilities.
In his address presenting the State of the Party, National Secretary Dr. Olu Agunloye disclosed that the SDP had successfully resisted attempts by what he called "self‑serving politicians and coalition forces" to hijack its structure. He said the party had undergone internal cleansing exercises that restored discipline and protected its ideological foundation. "The party survived the siege of takeover attempts by self‑serving politicians and agents of coalition who reacted violently to the internal cleansing activities," Agunloye told delegates. He added that the SDP had reclaimed its structure and repositioned itself as a credible opposition force capable of competing effectively at the national level, pointing to electoral victories it had secured in senatorial, House of Representatives, state assembly and local government contests over the previous four years.
The SDP's convention unfolded against a backdrop of political turbulence. Just days earlier, the African Democratic Congress, another opposition party, had seen a cascade of defections as lawmakers abandoned its platform, and the Peoples Democratic Party remained mired in a debilitating leadership crisis between rival factions. The SDP sought to position itself as a stable, disciplined alternative to the chaos plaguing other opposition platforms. Adebayo, speaking after his adoption, called on opposition parties to work together to challenge the APC, while warning that even members of the ruling party were facing internal suppression. He accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to dominate the political space and erode democratic norms, a charge that echoed Bugaje's earlier warnings.
As the SDP ended its Bauchi convention with a full slate of national officers and a consensus presidential candidate in place, Bugaje's accusations against the APC remained unanswered by the ruling party. The SDP chairman had argued that history would record the actions of those aiding political oppression, and that consequences would follow. The party's convention theme, "Building a People's Coalition to Secure Our Homeland and Defeat Poverty," reflected its determination to challenge the ruling party on the twin fronts of security and the cost‑of‑living crisis. With the 2027 elections now less than two years away, the SDP has signalled that it intends to be a formidable, rather than a fringe, contender for power.
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