Former SDP Presidential Candidate Raises the Alarm over Nigeria’s Shrinking Democratic Space

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has raised concerns over what he described as a growing perception that opposition parties were being stifled under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, warning that Nigeria’s democratic space may be narrowing ahead of the 2027 elections.

Adebayo, in a statement issued by his media office yesterday, pointed to a combination of voter apathy, internal crises within opposition parties, and what many observers perceived as an increasingly tilted political environment in favor of the ruling government.

According to him, the weakness and fragmentation currently plaguing opposition parties cannot be separated from a broader system that discouraged credible alternatives and limited effective political competition.

“Strategic partners in an election are not necessarily politicians,” he said, stressing that millions of Nigerians have become disillusioned with the political process. “If you want to have a coalition, you must find where the 80 per cent who didn’t show up are and address why they stayed away.”

His remarks come amid rising concerns in political circles that the opposition’s inability to organise effectively is being compounded by a climate that critics say indirectly benefits the ruling party by weakening rival platforms.

Adebayo expressed skepticism about ongoing coalition talks among opposition figures, warning that alliances lacking discipline, credibility, and shared values could further erode public trust and reinforce the incumbent administration’s dominance.

 “You cannot be talking about corruption and accountability and then align with people whose actions contradict those values,” he stated.

He also revealed that attempts by the SDP to engage with other parties have often been frustrated by internal disputes, with multiple factions from the same platforms approaching coalition discussions without resolving their differences, an issue he said reflects deeper structural problems within the opposition.

“We told them, ‘Don’t bring your internal problems into coalition discussions. Go back and organise your party first,'” Adebayo said.

Despite these challenges, the SDP leader insisted that the real threat to Nigeria’s democracy lies in the growing disengagement of citizens, many of whom no longer see the political system as responsive or inclusive.

Adebayo maintained that, beyond electoral contests, the focus should be on rebuilding a system that guarantees accountability and genuine political participation.

“Some people are satisfied once the president is removed. For us, that is only the beginning,” he said. “The real task is to replace the system with one that reflects good governance and accountability.”