Social Democratic Party (SDP) Vission, Structure and Strength

Here is Professor Tunde Adeniran, a former Minister of Education and the reason he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP)


Social Democratic Party (SDP) Vission:

The new vision is to give effect to what we believe in. We believe in a sanitised political system where the rule of law prevails; where there is due regard for justice, equity and fairness in the political process. And we also believe that it is long overdue for this country to have genuine democracy. Genuine democracy can only be premised on what we regard as internal party democracy. We believe that unless and until you have that, we are going nowhere and things will just be getting worse. So, there is a clear vision of dedication to certain core values that we believe we need to actualise through the appropriate framework. That was what led to the choice of SDP. Of course, if this was not lacking where we are coming from, there wouldn’t have been any need to leave, because when certain things are happening and you have done your best to try to correct them or try to effect a change, but that is impossible. So, some of us just don’t believe in doing politics just for the fun of it. We believe in changing lives; in making sure that we transform the system and get a situation whereby the human dignity and human integrity and all that is edifying are promoted. I also believe that for those of us who believe in certain principles that we cannot compromise, that there is just no choice than to move on.


Party structure and strength:

After the banning of 13 prospective parties by the administration of Ibrahim Babangida in 1989. A few of the "illegal" associations decided to re-align. The People's Front of Nigeria, People's Solidarity Party and the Nigerian Labor Party were the three main inchoate groups that emerged to form the core constituency of the new SDP. The leadership of the party was mostly dominated by Northern Nigerians, with Babagana Kingibe elected party chairman in 1990 over his rival Mohammed Arzika. On the other hand, the electoral strength of the party lain in the Yoruba states and Imo and Anambra states. The party won 57% of the Senate seats in the 1992 National Assembly election, and won 53% of the seats of the House of Representatives in the same election. The party was largely financed by the Federal Government and a few individuals, such as Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, Francis Nzeribe and M.K.O. Abiola. In its primary elections, Yar'adua collated about 480,000 votes dominating his primary opponent, Olu Falae in the first round.[1] Another financier, Abiola (a former member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons and chairman of the National Party of Nigeria) won the primary election on March 1993, after the first election was canceled. Abiola's contested the national election which was later annulled, a seemingly coherent legacy of Nigeria's swivelling and revolving door like political landscape.

Among former members, Atiku Abubakar, Jerry Gana, Abubakar Rimi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Umaru Yar'Adua, Abdullahi Aliyu Sumaila, Dapo Sarumi, and Mohammed Arzika later became senior figures in the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

Do you think this party has what it takes to change Nigeria for good?