Former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has explained why coalition talks involving his party and other opposition groups collapsed, insisting that credibility, ideology, and moral integrity were lacking among those pushing the alliance.
Adebayo said the SDP is not opposed to coalition politics in principle but refused to align with individuals whose records and motivations contradict the party’s values.
Speaking to journalists during the 2025 Christmas Marathon and Health Walk organised by him and his wife, Queen Lilian, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Adebayo said opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alone is not a sufficient basis for forming a coalition.
According to him, any alliance must be rooted in a shared purpose that directly improves the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“We are talking with the coalition, and we are trying to find a common purpose. This common purpose has to have meaning in the lives of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
Adebayo stressed that personal dislike for President Tinubu cannot justify embracing politicians with similar or worse tendencies.
“The fact that I don’t like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not mean I should accept the same things I dislike him for from others,” he said, adding that several politicians who sought to join the SDP were rejected after internal screening, with some not even granted interviews.
“They are people who came to our party, and we didn’t allow them to come in. We told many of them to go away because you can’t say you want to rescue Nigeria and you’re a fraud,” he stated.
The SDP stalwart accused many opposition figures of attempting to exploit public anger over what he described as the current government’s poor performance, rather than presenting genuine alternatives.
Using a vivid analogy, Adebayo warned Nigerians against being deceived by superficial differences among political actors.
“If three people argue about whether to roast, fry, or parboil a chicken, how would the chicken vote for any of them?” he asked, suggesting that many politicians, regardless of party, ultimately pursue power for personal gain.
He also criticised figures facing corruption allegations or recently released from custody, saying criminality and opportunism have no place in reform politics.
“Some people are doing coalition after leaving EFCC custody on bail,” he said.
Adebayo further warned against replacing the current administration with individuals he described as “worse than the government,” arguing that Nigerians must not allow such figures to be “smuggled” into power under the banner of opposition unity.
He emphasised that any credible coalition must be based on shared ideology, accountability, and honesty about past failures.
“You must first confess your contribution to the problems we are facing today as a country before you can talk about coalition,” he said.
The SDP leader also criticised politicians who depend heavily on government patronage, noting that some are unable to remain outside power even briefly.
“Some people are incapable of being outside government for six hours because they are used to free cars, houses, and privileges,” he said.
For him, staying out of power is preferable to betraying the public trust.
“If you cannot help the Nigerian people, let us not kill them. It is better not to enter government than to become enemies of the people,” Adebayo concluded.
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