Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, Adewole Adebayo, has emphasized that a political party is a public institution open to all, likening it to places of worship where people are free to come and go.
His remarks follow the recent defection of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the SDP.
Speaking in an interview on Thursday, Adebayo stated that while anyone can join a political party, membership alone does not guarantee leadership or authority within it.
“A political party is like a church or a mosque. When someone walks in to worship, you cannot question their past. However, just as attending a church does not make one a bishop, joining a party does not automatically make one a leader,” he said.
He cautioned party members against unnecessary internal conflicts, warning that such divisions could weaken the party’s chances against its political opponents.
“If you want to defeat an incumbent, you need more discipline than the incumbent,” he advised. “Infighting and petty rivalries only create opportunities for the ruling party to exploit.”
Adebayo also urged members to focus on governance issues rather than personal rivalries, stressing that the party’s opposition was directed at poor governance, not individuals.
“We may have members who have personal disputes with people like Tinubu, but as a party, our issue is not with individuals—it’s with misgovernance. That should be our focus,” he added.
