He spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at a meeting with members of the state executive of the party on Saturday.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has ruled out any plan for merger or collaboration with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or any party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, at a meeting with members of the state executive of the party on Saturday.

He was accompanied during his visit by a former Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung, as well as the party’s chairman in Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, among others. He denounced insinuations of his party, the SDP, as an appendage of the APC, saying that the party remains committed to the welfare and well-being of all Nigerians.

“Maybe APC has appendicitis, they should go to the hospital to kill it. We are a strong party. We are older than any of the parties available. Our mission is clear: we are not in government with them.

“I led the party in the last election. I’m still standing here. I’m not a minister under Tinubu, all the State Chairman, the National Chairman are intact, National Secretary. So, we are standing on our own,” he said.

“The reason people look down on us is because we don’t attack people to tackle issues, because our party is a party of intellect. We are the only party that’s a little to the left. Having been a little to the left since we came in 1989 we remain so.

“The problems of Nigeria can only be found with solutions on the left, which is that chapter two of the Constitution, invest money in education, in housing, in healthcare, good infrastructure, let Nigerians live what chief Obafemi Awolowo called a life more abundant.”

He added, “Is there any kind of agreement between the two parties to make or to act together? Anybody who wants to join the SDP is welcome, except that you must learn our creed. We are for justice, and progress.

“As white as the horse is, so is our heart. We want the Nigerian people to regain what MKO Abiola promised. Abiola promised farewell to poverty.

“He sacrificed his life for it. So, anybody who wants to come to SDP must first ask himself, can you make the sacrifice Abiola made?”

He said the party is open to genuine entrants but not to people of questionable character.

“We are merging with the Nigerian people. You cannot be on the side of the poor and the side of big men at the same time. If anybody tells you: I’m a party that wants to help poor people and is hanging around with those who are oppressing the people, that person doesn’t know what you want. SDP is clearly on the side of the people,” he said.

The chairman of the party in the state, Ola Williams, seized the occasion to welcome genuine new members into the party. (Channels TV)