Olusegun Ariyo
The Social Democratic Party (SDP, former presidential candidate Adewale Adebayo, has disclosed that ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, his Labour Party counterpart Peter Obi and a long list of eminent politicians are in talks with the party.
Adebayo said that Atiku and Obi’s representatives are discussing a possible defection to the SDP.
He disclosed this while appearing on Channel Sunday Politics.
According to Adebayo, “People are joining my party, and we are welcoming them. You can see how active I am in welcoming them.
“The only little issue we have with some of them is changing the culture, especially if they have not been in an environment where rules are taken seriously.
“Some of them are involved in Boy Scout-like activities and black-market operations, but we are dealing with that. However, we welcome them into the party.
“All these people you have mentioned; El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, and even former Governor Peter Obi, are coming. A lot of people are coming, and we will welcome them.
“Until somebody joins, we don’t know. But people have told me, and the Financial Secretary (SDP) has also informed me, that they are talking. So we will welcome everybody.”
Urging the intending defectors to adhere to the culture of SDP, Adebayo said they could defeat and retire the All-Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu when they join.
“If they can stick to our culture and follow the way we do things in the SDP and produce a good alternative for Nigerians, we are going to manifestly defeat the APC and retire President Tinubu to Lagos or wherever he chooses in Nigeria,” he added.
