2027: SDP pledges to rebuild economy

The National Chairman, Social Democratic Party, Prof Sadiq Gombe.

The Social Democratic Party has promised to rebuild the country and address its current socio-economic and security challenges if elected in the 2027 general elections.

The National Chairman of the SDP, Sadiq Gombe, made the pledge on Friday while receiving a delegation from the Confederation of West African Youth at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Gombe, who was represented by the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Ugochukwu Uba, said the party’s ideology was anchored in Chapter II of the 1999 Constitution, which highlights the welfare and security of citizens.

He said the growing interest of young Nigerians in the SDP indicated that the party’s message was gaining traction.

“The SDP is a party with a well-defined ideology based on Chapter II of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which provides for the welfare and security of citizens,” Gombe said.

He added, “So, I find it encouraging that many Nigerian youths are taking an interest in the party. It means that the message we are sending is getting through to the people. This country has derailed to a point where we need to rebuild it.”

Gombe stated that the party’s manifesto presented a comprehensive programme for national transformation, adding that its presidential candidate was prepared to drive the necessary changes.

“We cannot continue drifting. The SDP wants to put this country back on track,” he noted. “Fortunately, we have a presidential candidate who knows his onions—a young, determined leader ready to turn things around.”

Also speaking, the SDP presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo, urged party members and supporters to concentrate on grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Adebayo said political influence was ultimately determined at the community level, stressing that national visibility or eloquence would not translate into votes without effective engagement at polling units.

He said, “Politics is done in the neighbourhoods. We have 176,846 polling units across the country. Whatever command of English you have that does not convince your neighbour about how to vote is wasted.

“Any influence you have from Timbuktu to Accra that cannot sway how people vote in your home community is purely academic. So, we must go back to the grassroots.”

He added that political commitment must be driven by genuine passion for the nation’s future rather than mere rhetoric.

“Politics is not a game of the mouth; it is a game of the heart because the burden of politics is heavy,” Adebayo said. “It is the love for your country and a vision for the future that will sustain you in politics.”

Earlier, the Regional President of the Confederation of West African Youth, Israel Akinola, said Nigerians needed to pursue a new political direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Akinola added that public and private sector stakeholders must collaborate through public-private partnerships to drive sustainable development.

He also faulted the tendency of citizens to celebrate governments for providing basic infrastructure, describing such amenities as fundamental rights rather than favours.