JUST IN: SDP candidate Adewole Adebayo condemns deregistration of political parties

Politics

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has strongly condemned the court-ordered deregistration of five political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing the move as a “bad omen” for Nigeria’s democracy.

In a statement on Monday, the lawyer and politician argued that there is no constitutional, legal, or moral basis for truncating alternative democratic platforms through judicial decree. He noted that the ruling comes just days after Nigeria marked June 12 Democracy Day with national celebrations, calling the timing “plainly undemocratic.”

Although the SDP was not affected, Adebayo insisted that silence in the face of injustice is unacceptable. He expressed solidarity with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Alliance (AA), Action People’s Alliance (APP), Accord Party (AP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), urging all lovers of democracy to stand firmly with them.

“The broader Nigeria’s social, political, economic, religious, cultural, and ideological diversities, the more imperative it is to offer diverse political platforms for citizens to pursue their aspirations,” he said.

Adebayo pledged to support the affected parties in pursuing justice through legitimate means and vowed to include constitutional reforms in his presidential agenda. He proposed stripping INEC of powers to register parties, limiting its role to ensuring free, fair, and credible elections. Under his plan, political associations would nominate candidates and pay statutory deposits, forfeited if they fail to secure at least 10% of votes.

“We do not need more constraints or overheating the political temperature when we should be focusing squarely on nation-building,” he declared.

Reaffirming his presidential ambition, Adebayo said: “I am running for President because I believe in the People of Nigeria. We have the talent, the resources, and the determination to make this country great. Nigerians deserve real change: security that allows them to live freely, and a government that gives back to the people, rather than lining politicians’ pockets.”