*Ongoing coalition talks lack credibility, discipline, he insists
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has raised concerns over what he described as “a growing perception that opposition parties are being stifled under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, warning that Nigeria’s democratic space may be narrowing ahead of the 2027 elections.
He pointed to a combination of voter apathy, internal crises within opposition parties, and what many observers see as ‘a political environment increasingly tilted in favour of the ruling party’.
According to him, the weakness and fragmentation currently plaguing opposition parties cannot be separated from a broader system that appears to discourage credible alternatives and limit 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 percent who didn’t show up are and address why they stayed off.”
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 on-going coalition talks among opposition figures, warning that alliances lacking discipline, credibility, and shared values could further erode public trust and reinforce the dominance of the incumbent administration.
“You cannot be talking about corruption and accountability and then align with people whose actions contradict those values,” he stated.
He also maintained that attempts by the SDP to engage other parties have often been frustrated by internal disputes, with multiple factions from the same platforms approaching coalition discussions without resolving their difference, 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 he said, no longer see the political system as responsive or inclusive.
